


roommate wanted (absolutely no Bush supporters need apply)

by evidenceofthingsnotseen



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, With A Twist, and they were roommates...oh my god they were roommates, this is simultaneously a roommate au and a ldr au so...idk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-21 08:57:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 32,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13737468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evidenceofthingsnotseen/pseuds/evidenceofthingsnotseen
Summary: How NOT to fall in love with your roommate's little sister.





	1. classifieds

**Author's Note:**

> The story is set in 2011 based on Lena's age in the show, so I will try to keep in line with that in terms of popular music, social media, etc. I took some liberties with Alex's age, making her four years older than Kara and Lena, who are both 18 where this starts. This is something like my third draft of this, so I hope it's okay.

“Ms. Luthor, this just came for you.”

Lena looks up from her design table, setting down her protractor as she gives Anna a look.

“Please, Anna, call me Lena. I know Mother told you not to, but it’s fine.” Anna nods, smiling slightly as she hands the letter over. The envelope, made of sturdy cardstock and embossed with a crimson H, feels heavy in Lena’s hands. She stares at the seal for a moment.

“Are you going to open it?” Lena had nearly forgotten Anna was there. She turns back to her desk and grabs the monogrammed letter opener. She takes a breath and slices the envelope open, silently begging the letter to say what she needs to read. Lena skims past the header and honorific, landing on the sentence that seals her fate, at least for the next few years.

_Miss Luthor, we are pleased to inform you of your acceptance to the Harvard Business School MBA program._

“I got in.” Her voice is weak with disbelief. Anna squeals her congratulations and pulls her into a quick hug, followed by a string of awkward apologies. Lena waves her off, assuring the recently hired maid that her lapse in professionalism would not be reported to Lillian.

Once the door closes, Lena collapses down into her desk chair. Tears spring to her eyes as she thinks about Lex. Normally, he would be the first person she would call with news like this. He would have been popping champagne bottles and lifting her into an all-encompassing hug, making plans to buy her something expensive and useless, like a helicopter. Bitterly, she wipes away an errant tear, reprimanding herself for the moment of weakness. Crying is all she seems to do these last few months since Lex’s arrest, and she determines not to let a good thing be ruined by her brother’s madness.

Later that night at dinner, Lena breaks the stony silence at the dinner table with her announcement.

“That’s wonderful, darling. I’ll call Quentin tomorrow to arrange for an apartment for you in Cambridge,” Lionel says. Lillian seems intent on pouring herself another glass of wine.

“Thanks, Dad.” Lena shoots another glance to Lillian, who stays silent. Lena wants to scream. Going to graduate school at eighteen is no small feat, she wants to say, can’t you just be proud of me?

Still, only the light clinking sounds of silverware on plates resounds in the dining room.

 

* * *

 

 

Hours later and thousands of miles away, the Danvers’ home is alight with celebration. Kara’s setting the table as Alex pulls a pan of lasagna from the oven. Kara zeroes in on Eliza opening her car door. She lets out a little squeal as she signals to Alex. Both girls stand in the entryway, smiling side by side. Eliza walks in, immediately suspicious of the identical smiles on her stiffly postured daughters.

“Oh my god, what did Kara break?” Eliza asks. “Not the roof again, we really can’t keep –”

“Mom, this is good news,” Alex interrupts solemnly, as Kara tries not to look indignant. Eliza’s look of suspicion morphs into curiosity.

“Alex got into Harvard!” Kara shouts, unable to hold back any longer. Eliza is stunned, and the outburst is followed by another.

“And Kara got into NCU!”

Eliza immediately wraps both girls in a hug. Kara hums against her shoulder until, after a long moment, they break apart.

“Do I smell lasagna?”

“Yep, Alex cooked. I offered to help but she only let me set the table.” Kara gestures dramatically to the neatly set table, doing her best impression of Vanna White.

“Good call,” Eliza says as she takes her seat at the left of the head of the table. Alex sits across from her and Kara sits at the end. For a second, after the food is served, the Danvers look to the empty chair at the head of the table.

“I miss him,” Kara starts. Alex puts a hand over hers as Eliza speaks.

“You know, when we lost him, I thought there was no way I would be able to raise you girls. That’s why I’m so proud of you. It feels like I turned around for a minute and you grew into these incredible young women. I just can’t believe you’ll both be away at college this year.” Eliza pauses for a beat and turns to Alex. “Are you sure you have to go all the way to Harvard? Stanford is a perfectly good school you know.”

“I know, and it’s your alma mater but come on, Mom. It’s Harvard.” Alex will not say that what she needs more than anything is a few thousand miles from Midvale and her mother’s expectations, even if it’s the truth.

“Well, I think it’s great,” Kara interrupts. “Crimson is a good color for you.”

 

* * *

 

 

The next day, Lena wakes up late, having slept well for the first time in months. When Anna brings her breakfast tray, Lena makes a request.

“Can you help me find some cardboard boxes? I want to start packing immediately and I thought there might be some down in the kitchen.”

Anna nods her assent and leaves Lena to eat in silence. When she finishes, she carries the tray down to the kitchen, hoping to meet Anna there. As she sets the dishes in the sink, the door to the garage is pushed open.

“Let me help you with those,” Lena says as she steps forward to take some of cardboard boxes currently obscuring Anna totally from view. A muffled thank you is heard as the maid follows her to her bedroom.

Within a few hours, everything Lena wants or needs for her apartment is packed away, save for an outfit for tomorrow and a book for the drive down. She decides at once that she is leaving the house by tonight. She can’t stand to be suffocated by this house any longer.

Lena wanders down to the study and knocks on the door. When she gets no answer, she presses her ear to the door. Lionel is on the phone with Quentin, discussing Lena’s acceptance to Harvard, so she lets herself in.

“Yes, Quentin, we’ll need to move up her access to her trust fund, make it immediate. Yes, and arrange for an apartment with three bedrooms…” Lionel grins as he notices Lena. She shakes her head, pointing to the phone and put up two fingers.

“Two bedrooms will suffice, actually…” Lionel corrects, and Lena nods. She taps his desk and puts up two fingers again. Lionel gives her a questioning look but does as he is asked. “Two desks as well, Quentin. Yes, have it available as soon as possible. Tonight, no matter the cost. Yes, I’ll be by the office tomorrow to sign everything, just have the contracts ready. Thank you, have a pleasant rest of your day.”

Lena watches as Lionel converses with the family lawyer. He was a charming man in his youth, and it shows even now when his hair is thin and greying. Lena studies the way he blends forcefulness with manners, but suddenly realizes something as he sets the phone into the receiver.

“How did you know I wanted to leave tonight?” Lena asks. Lionel eyes twinkle knowingly.

“I walked by your room. You were so intent on packing away your jewelry, you didn’t even notice me. And here I thought you still loved me,” Lionel teases. Lena responds with an embarrassed smile.

“Of course, I do, but I feel like I should get used to the city before school starts. It’s only a couple of hours away, so I’ll visit whenever you want. I just need to be…” Lena trails off.

“Not here.” Lionel finishes. Lena nods, grateful for his understanding. “Give Quentin a few hours to lock everything down and I’ll call for a car. Go say goodbye to your mother.”

Reluctantly, Lena retreats from the study to find Lillian. The exchange between them is short and not wholly sweet, but it could have been worse, and Lena takes what she can get.

Once back in her room, she sets about executing an idea she’d had in Lionel’s study. Lena opens her laptop and pulls up the Harvard student Facebook page. If you asked her later, she might have said she did it to piss off Lillian, but more probably she was just a bit lonely. She starts typing.

_Roommate Wanted: One bedroom with private study area available. Should be enrolled in the Harvard Graduate program. Apartment is fully furnished and tastefully appointed. Rent is negotiable upon selection. Contact via email: lena@luthorcorp.com._

* * *

 

 

“Do you think I’ll need two pairs of running shoes? If not, which ones should I bring?” Kara asks. Alex looks up from her laptop to see Kara looking frazzled holding up two pair of athletic shoes.

“Take whichever ones you like better. If you wear them out, you can just visit Mom for a weekend and get them. You have to visit and check in with her since I won’t be able to as much,” Alex tells her. Kara nods and adds the shoes to one of the many bags and boxes strewn across her bed. Alex returns her focus to the screen in front of her. Scrolling down the page, she comes across a Roommate Wanted advertisement. Reading the succinct description, Alex is immediately intrigued. She notices the name at the top: Lena Luthor. _Surely,_ Alex thinks, _this can’t be that Lena Luthor_.

Her curiosity wins out, and she clicks on her profile. Alex realizes right away that it is that Lena Luthor. The last post is from last May before Lex Luthor’s arrest and trial. It’s a professionally done photoset of Lena at Metropolis University’s graduation, looking serene as she accepts her diploma. The next post down is a collection of photos from Lena’ birthday. Alex is shocked to see in the background a banner reading “Happy 18th Birthday!” _So, she has the Luthor genius intellect as well._ She doesn’t seem crazy though, and Alex needs a place to live, so she shoots a quick but polite email.

_Lena,_

_My name is Alex Danvers, I’m twenty-two, and I’m entering the graduate program for medicine at Harvard. I’d like to submit myself for consideration as a roommate. I’m generally neat, reliable and I can cook. If you need any more info, I can give it to you. Also, could you send photos of the apartment if you have any?_

_Alex_

_P.S. If you prefer to continue our correspondence via email, that’s fine. Otherwise, here’s my phone number._

* * *

 

 

Lena’s phone dings just minutes after she’s arrived at her building. She puts the phone in her pocket and loads her arms up with bags and suitcases, much to her driver Frank’s irritation.  The doorman greets her into the lobby and she makes for the elevator. With a spare elbow, Lena hits the button for floor six. A surge of childlike excitement fills her as she stands in the softly whirring elevator car. This is the first time Lena has lived truly independent of her parents. Despite Lionel bankrolling the apartment, the contracts were in her name and it was Lena who had made the decision to seek out a roommate.

When the doors slide open, Lena steps out into the hall. It’s one, two doors down on the left to her door where the real estate agent is waiting for her.

“Miss Luthor, so pleased to meet you. Here, let me take one of those bags.” The chipper, middle aged woman relieves Lena of her lightest bag and ushers her into the apartment.

“It looks wonderful,” Lena says breathlessly as she drops her bags in the entryway. She gives a quick but gracious nod to Frank as he drops off the rest of the boxes.

“Yes, it’s very stylishly decorated. Now, let me just show you around and ensure that everything is to your liking, then I’ll be on my way.”

“Thank you, Miss…” Lena trails off, realizing she never caught the real estate agent’s name.

“It’s Mrs. Caldwell, but feel free to call me Mary.” Lena nods and follows Mary deeper into the apartment. “Here we have the kitchen, fully stocked in case you’re hungry from you trip, and over here is the living room. The TV, cable, DVD player and stereo systems have all been set up for you.”

Lena nods gratefully, not mentioning that she could have designed and built a stereo as effortlessly as this woman plugged one in. She followed obediently to the southeast corner of the apartment.

“This here is the master bedroom with the attached master bath. Then across the living room is the guest bedroom and guest bath. There’s not much difference between them except that the master bedroom has a walk-in closet.” Mary finishes her spiel and looks to Lena expectantly.

“Thank you, Mrs. Caldwell, it’s all just perfect. I really appreciate your having this ready for me on such a short notice.” Lena’s words are genuine; she’s nearly overcome with relief. Relief to be a good hundred miles from Lillian and relief that Lionel didn’t spring for mahogany and marble everything.

“It was no trouble at all,” Mary assures, which Lena takes to mean she’ll be collecting on a sizable bonus tomorrow. “I’ll leave you to it now, Miss Luthor.” She walks out the door of the apartment and then Lena is alone.

She bites back a most unbecoming squeal of delight as she crashes into her bed. Settling into it for a moment, Lena is shocked to learn that she’s exhausted. Someday, she resolves as she flicks off the lamp, she’ll figure out a way to make traveling less draining.

 

* * *

 

 

“You know what I think would be fun?” Eliza says the next day over breakfast. Kara and Alex share an apprehensive look. “No, come on, girls. I was just going to say that it would be fun for Kara and me to come with you to move in, just before we move Kara in at National City. We could do a couple tourist things in Boston, help you move in, then head back out west. That way we could do a little family vacation and you wouldn’t have to move in alone.”

As family vacations go, this is one of Eliza’s best ideas yet. Certainly, it was a lot better than her plan to introduce Kara to the area by driving down the coast and visiting Disneyland. In the months following, Alex had spent far too much time explaining that _No, Kara, they don’t worship the mouse_ and _Yes, it was a castle, but California is not a monarchy._

“Oh, that sounds so fun, Eliza.” Kara says, already visibly planning. 

“Yeah, Mom, that will be great. But before you guys can help move me in, I’ve got to find an apartment.” Alex stands up, takes her dishes to the sink, and grabs her laptop.

“How’s that going? Have you found a couple possibilities?” Eliza asks. Alex nods as she opens her email, checking for updates from various prospective roommates. No new notifications, she registers, just as her phone buzzes on the counter.

_Unknown Number_

_Hey, it’s Lena. Sorry I didn’t get to this right away last night. Here’s the pictures of the apartment. Call me if you’re interested and we can talk it over._

Alex lets out a low whistle as she flips through the pictures. The spacious apartment and new-looking furniture are a definite step up from her dorm last year.

“What are you looking at?” Kara asks, shoveling more pancakes onto her plate.

“My new apartment, hopefully. It’s gorgeous, but the rent’s probably a king’s ransom.” Alex slides the phone across the table for Kara to see.

“Wow, it really is nice. Eliza, look.” Kara holds the phone up and Eliza hums her approval.

“I’m going to give her a quick call, see what the rent is, if she’s got other applicants, you know,” Alex excuses herself from the table and goes upstairs to the den. She shuts the door and hits ‘call.’

“Hello?” Lena answers.

“Lena, it’s Alex. Uh, Danvers. Alex Danvers.” Alex winces a bit at the Kara-esque rambling.

“Oh yes, Alex. What can I do for you?” Lena’s voice is smooth and business-like.

“I just wanted to call and say that I’m very interested in the apartment. I’m sure you’ve got a lot of people interested in it, so if there’s any info you need about me to make your decision, just ask.”

“Actually, you’re the only one. I’ve had a few other responses but most of those were…insincere.” What Lena doesn’t say is that the other responses have been outraged peers, threatening what would happen if they see her on campus.

“Well, that’s, uh, great. What are you thinking for rent?” Alex asks, her voice tinged with curiosity.

“Honestly, if I’m not paying for it, why should you? My parents have paid the rent through this year, and I am not inclined to profit off your need for an apartment. Just as long as we get along, I’m not worried about rent.” Alex’s jaw drops at the easy disinterest in money Lena’s tone conveys.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” is the only response she’s able to form.

“I’m not. If you insist, I suppose I could accept some form of rent, but it’s not necessary. Otherwise, I’m happy to have you as a roommate. Feel free to come whenever, as I’ve already moved in. We can draw up an agreement about the particulars when you arrive, and maybe do a two-week trial period.” Alex can hardly believe her luck, but privately resolves to pay her fair share of rent regardless.

“Uh, yes. I’m in, I mean. I’ll be there in a couple of weeks. My mom and sister are coming to vacation and help me move in before Kara starts at National City University. They start a lot earlier than Harvard does cause they’re on quarters instead of semesters and well, I’ll see you then.” Alex tries not to sound too awkward as she completes her explanation. This elicits a chuckle from Lena.

“Okay then Alex Danvers, I’ll see you then.” Alex hangs up and takes a moment to add Lena to her contacts. As she walks back towards the kitchen, a series of notifications pop up on her phone.

_Lena Luthor added you on Facebook!_

_@lenaluthor is now following you!_

Alex smiles and adds her back, thinking Lena is the strangest combo of deadly serious and silly eighteen-year-old she’s ever met, save for maybe Kara.


	2. girl meets girl (and girl's mother and girl's cute sister)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena gets used to life alone, Alex moves in, and Lena officially meets the Danvers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm only somewhat happy with this, but hopefully you guys like it. Let me know, I suppose. I'm also thinking about adding a link to a playlist of what I have in my head when I write.

Life outside the Luthor residence is a weight off Lena’s shoulders. She finds time to work on her designs, take long walks through the city and do just about anything she wants. Over the first week or so, she locates a coffee shop, bookstore, a few restaurants, and a dry cleaner’s that will suit her needs.

One day, on one of her walks, she comes across a pet store and briefly considers getting a cat. Lena hesitates, however, when she realizes that she doesn’t know if Alex is allergic, or maybe just hates cats. Based on her social media, she is definitely a dog person. This reminds Lena that Alex should be arriving the day after next, and that she should probably stock up on groceries before her roommate arrives.

As she enters Whole Foods, it occurs to Lena that she has no idea of any dietary restrictions or habits Alex might have, and her nerves start to set in. Lena realizes she knows nothing about this perfect stranger, who is going to be living with her in less than seventy-two hours.

 _Still_ , Lena thinks as she appraises the produce in front of her, _if she’s one of Lex’s assassins, she’s the most polite one he’s ever sent._

 

* * *

 

“She’s a Luthor?” Eliza demands, glancing around to see if Kara is nearby. As if she was ever truly out of earshot.

“Yeah, Mom, but I don’t see what the big deal is. She’s a teenager, not a terrorist.” Alex tries to remain even-toned. She had known this conversation was coming ever since her phone call with Lena.

“You don’t know what that family is capable of, Alexandra. You saw what that monster did to Clark, imagine what she could do to your sister,” Eliza hisses. Alex sighs. Getting the full name was never a good thing.

“You’re right, Mom,” Alex starts, her voice dripping sarcasm. “Because I had planned on walking through the door yelling ‘Hey my sister’s an alien!’ and ‘Want to know Superman’s real identity?’ You know, small talk.”

“Don’t joke. What would your father think? You know how important it was to him to protect Kara, from any threat.” Invoking Jeremiah is too much for Alex. She stands, drawing herself to her full height, still inches shorter than Eliza.

“Don’t tell me what Dad would have wanted. She was a threat, too. I love her but having an emotionally unstable and physically unstoppable alien in the house was a threat. I know you thought so too, and Dad convinced you and I to take her in because he thought she deserved a chance. Why shouldn’t Lena get the same chance?” Alex’s voice climbs all along, bordering on shouting. She doesn’t know exactly why she is sticking up for someone she hasn’t officially met. Spite, more than anything, she thinks. The need to prove her mother wrong, that her judgement could be trusted. Fully twenty-two years old and about to move out permanently, Alex feels no obligation to justify her decisions.

“Protect her,” is all Eliza says as Alex storms out of the kitchen. She elects at once to jog down to the beach, with hopes of clearing her head. She runs, faster and faster, past Mill Street, Sycamore, Walnut, finally hitting the sand. Alex is shocked to see Kara, who was supposed to be out buying new headphones for the flights, sitting on a driftwood log. She half-jogs up to her sister, picking up her pace when she realizes Kara is crying.

“Hey, Kara, what’s wrong?” Alex leans down to put a hand on Kara’s back, who pulls away.

“She was a threat,” Kara mimics bitterly. Alex cups a hand to her mouth, sickened. She sits down next to Kara.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Alex tries. “I just meant that we didn’t have any idea what you’d be like. All we knew was your family legacy, Clark, and that you’d be powerful.  And I don’t know what Lena will be like, but if I’m lucky, she’ll be great. Like you.” Kara allows herself to be pulled, nearly into Alex’s lap as she explains herself.

“I didn’t know you were scared of me,” Kara whispers wetly. Alex laughs, wiping a tear from her sister’s face.

“I suppose that’s because you were too busy being terrified of us.” Kara nods, remembering the all-consuming fear of those early days.

“Good thing you turned out to be a softie,” she teases, cheering up a bit. Alex puffs up her chest in mock indignance.

“How dare you, I am mighty!” With her hands on her hips, Alex is exactly the superhero Kara needs right now.

“Arm wrestle to prove it?” Kara asks challengingly.

“Oh, no, I wouldn’t want to hurt you,” Alex says, going along with the bit. “Besides, you’re going to need that arm to help me move in.” Kara’s reddened eyes well up with a fresh bout of tears.

“I just can’t believe you’re going so far away.”

“Think of it as good practice for flying without being seen.”

“I’m telling Eliza you said that.”

“Don’t you dare.”

They sit then in silence, watching the tide roll in and out. It occurs to Alex that Cambridge is so far, far away that it may as well be the setting of a fairy tale. Tomorrow, she’ll be trading one ocean for another. A new school, a new living space, a new everything. _Kara’s supposed to be the hero, not me,_ she thinks. _I don’t know if I can be this brave._

* * *

 

_Lena Luthor_

_Hey, what time does your flight get in?_

Alex stares through the screen, bleary-eyed. Trying to comprehend English at two o’clock in the morning is proving to be a struggle. After a beat, she types out a response.

_10:12 local time_

Apparently, Lena has forgotten time zones exist, and Alex groans at the quick reply demanding her attention.

_Great! Should I send a car to pick you and your family up?_

Generosity is big with this one, apparently.

_No, thanks. We’re going to get mom and Kara checked in at their hotel, then do some sightseeing before we come over._

 

* * *

 

Lena cannot help but wake up early on days like today. Sunlight through her easterly window wakes her, and before long, Lena is going through her yoga routine. After a quick conversation with Alex, she sets about tidying the apartment. There’s not much to tidy: a few pairs of heels by the door, dried overnight dishes to put away, the carboard boxes to the desktop computers she set up yesterday. In twenty minutes, Lena’s completely done, and there’s still twelve or so hours until Alex arrives.

Lena inspects every inch of the apartment, adjusting and readjusting minute details. She spends a solid five minutes debating if a blanket across one end of the couch looks cozy or just sloppy, then subsequently more questions arise. If she decides to leave it out, should it be folded for neatness or does that seem too fussy? If folded, should it be into a rectangle or triangle? It occurs to Lena that this line of thinking could prove her clinically insane, so she decides to go for a walk. Once the blanket is folded into a loose triangle and splayed across the right end of the couch, Lena grabs her purse and is out the door.

The neighborhood is perfect, and one of the things that makes it perfect is the Central Square Farmer’s Market. Rows upon rows of brightly colored fruits and vegetables, organic honey, and made from scratch pasta as far as the eye can see fill booths throughout the square. Without any particular plan in mind, Lena starts picking out a handful of tomatoes, portions of oregano and basil, and a couple pounds of pasta. She’s just started picking out some salad components when she looks down at her basket and realizes she’s making spaghetti for dinner. So much for never shopping hungry. Lena completes her shopping with a selection of strawberries, intended for a pie, and makes her way to a nearby diner for some lunch.

“Your usual booth, Miss Luthor?” Matt, the host asks. Lena nods and follows him to the corner booth, where the menu is waiting for her. She scans it for a moment.

“I think I’ll have the strawberry spinach salad,” she decides.

“Excellent choice, ma’am.”

While Lena savors her lunch, she scrolls through her phone. She checks for any messages from home, then emails from LuthorCorp and Harvard, then starts scrolling through her social media. She sighs her way through a series of pompous statuses from her insufferable former classmates, with whom she is only acquainted via socio-economic class, before finding something interesting.

Alex had posted a few pictures of their adventures so far in Boston, with the caption _So glad to be rid of these two! – With Eliza Danvers and Kara Danvers._ The photos betray Alex’s sarcastic tone, as every single one is filled with affectionate, laughter-induced smiles. The middle-aged woman, who Lena takes to be Alex’s mother, radiates a kind of warmth that seems to seep right through the screen of the phone. However, it’s the youngest that has Lena’s attention. Kara, Alex’s younger sister, is a vision in a cornflower blue dress. One particularly wild photo shows Kara lifting Alex completely off the ground, the corded muscles of her arms on full display. Lena tries not to swoon and consequently suffers a burning sense of guilt. As much as Lena doesn’t know about Alex, Alex has no idea about Lena and one of the Luthors’ better kept secrets. She wonders briefly if she is morally obligated to tell her roommate that she’s a lesbian. On one hand, it’s her personal business. On the other, it would be wrong to enter into this under false pretenses. God forbid Alex would find out somehow and reveal herself to be a homophobe or worse, run to the press for a tidy cash reward.

As Lena walks out of the diner, a young red-headed woman nearly crashes into her.

“Sorry, miss,” The stranger mutters the quick apology and bolts away. Stunned, Lena turns, her gaze following the girl. Ten yards down, the girl finally stops running when she reaches a blonde woman on the corner. The blonde nervously shoves a handful of flowers into the redhead’s hands, and they share a quick kiss. Lena turns sharply away then, not wanting to invade the shared moment.

As she strolls back, the warmth of camaraderie spreads through her chest. Lena resolves then to tell Alex, when it’s appropriate and after some non-disclosure agreements have been drawn up. If she can’t be out and proud, at least she can be proud.

 

* * *

 

“You ready, Alex?” Kara asks. Alex fights a wave of nausea as her mom and sister stand waiting at the door of their hotel room. She grips the edge of the bed and forces herself to stand.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Eliza offers to let Alex drive the rental car, so she can get familiar with the city. In the short drive from the hotel to the apartment building, Alex barely can barely breathe, white-knuckling on the wheel. Suddenly, going to Harvard doesn’t seem so important. The only important things now are making sure Kara gets along at college and Eliza adjusts to becoming an empty-nester, and it’s up to Alex to steward these things.

They pull into the garage and the attendant looks suspiciously at the unfamiliar car.

“Guest or new resident?” the attendant asks.

“New resident,” Alex answers, pleasantly surprised by the evenness of her voice.

“Apartment number?” The attendant hardly makes eye contact, navigating the screen in front of them.

“4E.” Apparently this answer matches the attendant’s information, and he waves her down to the purple-striped pathway designated for residents. Once parked, Alex pops the trunk and Kara grabs the two large suitcases. It strikes Alex that she and Eliza probably look like jerks making the youngest carry the heavy load while Alex has her bookbag and Eliza carries the three girls’ purses. Still, Kara is entirely unaffected as she hefts the luggage towards the elevator. The slight whirring of the lift is the only sound, as none of them seem to know exactly what to say.

As Alex passes each door, she hears little snippets of the lives behind them: a Star Wars movie night, an arguing couple, a clunky piano rendition of Amazing Grace, and so on.

“This is it,” Kara says, ever the observant one, and the brass lettering on the door confirms it. Alex reaches to knock, stopping for a second to wonder if she had to knock for her own apartment, then knocks anyway.

 

* * *

 

Lena is just grating parmesan onto the spaghetti and meatballs dish when she hears a knock at the door. She sets the dish in the oven to stay warm, peeks into the fridge for a second to see that the pie is setting up, then walks to the door. Lena feels tremendously domestic about the whole thing.

“Come in,” she says graciously. Alex steps into the room first and she looks just as she does in all her photos, with sharp dark eyes, long brown hair, with the keen expression of one who is constantly investigating the world around her. Her mother and sister follow, with Kara looking around the apartment in slight awe.

“Hey,” Alex starts. “Uh, this is my mom and my sister, Kara.” On cue, Kara smiles warmly. Eliza, however, looks nervous. Lena wonders if this has more to do with Alex leaving home, or the fact that Alex’s new home is with a Luthor. She summons her honed ability to play host, one of the most useful things Lillian ever taught her and propels the conversations forward.

“It’s nice to meet you, Kara, and you as well Dr. Danvers. I was lucky to attend your lecture on microbiological engineering two years ago at MIT.” At this, Eliza seems to warm up a bit.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Kara replies. Lena just cannot get over how joyous and frankly, beautiful, Kara is. There she is, standing holding at least a hundred pounds but for all the strain she’s showing, there may as well be nothing in her hands. And her smile: perfect teeth dazzle in a grin that reaches all the way to her stunning blue eyes. _You could turn off the lights and so long as she kept smiling_ , Lena thinks, _it would be just as bright in here._

“I had no idea you were interested in science, though I have heard you’re a bit of a prodigy. I thought you were an MBA student. And please, call me Eliza.” Eliza’s words bring Lena’s thoughts back to reality, and she briefly hopes her staring was not noticeable.

“Yes, my undergrad was in Engineering and Applied Mathematics. I’m pursuing the MBA so that I can take my place at the company. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you which room is Alex’s,” Lena offers. The four women fall into easy chatter about various scientific endeavors, with Kara contributing only at odd intervals. The partitioned desk and study area, complete with Harvard pennant, seems to suit Alex. She drops her bookbag there and they shift into the bedroom. Eliza gives a nod of approval, and Alex is more than happy. Kara finally sets down the luggage at the bottom of the closet.

“You can unpack later,” she says cheerfully. “We have to see the rest first.”

Lena leads them through the living room, pointing out where the DVDs and CDs are kept, in case Alex wants to use them or add her own. She opens the door to her room, saying it’s nothing special, then shows them to the laundry room, and guides them back towards the entrance to the kitchen.

“I, uh, made dinner, if you’d like to stay and eat.” Lena offers awkwardly.

“Nice! I thought I smelled garlic. Can we stay for a while, Eliza?” This is the most Kara has spoken since she arrived, Lena realizes.

“I’m not sure, maybe we should let Alex get to know her roommate a little better,” Eliza says slowly.

“You should stay,” Alex says quickly, and that combined with Kara’s pout (which Lena is thankful not to be on the receiving end of, lest she give away her trust fund) forces Eliza to concede.

Throughout dinner, the three young women discuss their impending college adventures, with an occasional interjection from Eliza about her time in academia.

“When I was your age, a lot of girls were still going to college just to get their MRS,” Eliza says. Lena chuckles a bit, knowing that’s exactly what Lillian did, while Kara looks bewildered.

“MRS? What would that be? A Master of Research…?”

“It’s a joke, Kara,” Alex explains. “MRS, as in the abbreviation ‘Mrs.’ They were going to college to find a husband.”

“A husband?” Kara repeats, with the kind of disdain that has Lena wondering (hoping) that Kara is one of her kind. She doesn’t have to wonder long. “What a waste of time. I’m not even thinking about a husband yet. College is about education. This place is so weird sometimes.”

 _That’s odd_ , Lena thinks, and Eliza and Alex seem to agree.

“You mean that time,” Alex corrects. “That time was weird.”

“Right,” Kara agrees quickly, her cheeks tinging red. “That time.”

After dessert, in which Kara charmingly ate half of the pie, Eliza decides its time to go. Lena feels incredibly uncomfortable watching the exchange but worries it would be rude to disappear from the room. Eliza hugs Alex and kisses her forehead, while Kara’s eyes fill with tears.

“What am I going to do without you?” Kara whispers against Alex’s shoulder. Despite being a fair few inches taller than Alex, Kara seems to shrink at the idea of leaving her.

“What are _you_ going to do? I think you mean what am _I_ going to do? With all this free time, I mean, not having to take care of your bratty self?” Alex’s joke might have landed a little better if her voice hadn’t shaken, sending Kara into full blown tears.

“Hey, Kara, it’s going to be alright. You’ll get an awful mailroom job at Catco and work your way up and before you know it, you will have graduated, and you’ll be an enormous success. Trust me,” Alex assures, forcing Kara to loosen her death grip. Alex opens the door, they shuffle through, and she closes it again. Lena trains her eyes on the table as she clears the dishes. Alex stares at the door handle, contemplating its properties, like the fact that she’s on one side of it and her family is on the other.

“I should do the dishes,” she says finally.

“Don’t worry about it,” Lena says, rinsing off another plate.

“No, I mean it. You cooked, which was really nice by the way, so it’s only fair if I clean up.” Alex takes the dish out of her hands and slides into her space at the sink, compelling Lena to shift away.

“Fine. If you don’t mind, I’ll sit at the counter and ask you a few things.”

“Fire away.”

Lena pulls a crumpled slip of notepad paper from her pocket and smooths it out. Dozens of questions in an assortment of colors of ink cover the page, a collection from the last couple of weeks. Lena had thought about sending the questions in advance but decided this was a better way to get to know her roommate. When Alex turns around for a moment, expecting the first question, she laughs aloud.

 “You said a few questions.”

“Well, okay its more than a few but you can ask me questions too. Each of these questions pertains to our ability to coexist. And general curiosity. You can pass on any question you want.” Lena lays out the rules in such a succinct manner, she worries it will become clear she had scripted out this conversation in her mind.

“Okay, shoot,” Alex agrees, turning back to the sink.

“Are you allergic to pets? And subsequently, do you like cats?”

“No and yes. Do you like dogs?”

“When they’re well trained, yes.”

They continue the questioning until the dishes are done and the list is exhausted. The two of them shift to the couch and start making up more questions.

“What is your middle name?” Lena asks.

“Caroline. Yours?”

“Pass.”

“No way, I haven’t passed on any. Come on.”

“Fine, but it’s really horrid.”

“I won’t make fun of it,” Alex promises.

“It’s Lutessa.”

For a moment, Alex says nothing. Straining to keep a straight face, she tries to come up with a normal response. “So, they really like L names, huh?” she says, swallowing a laugh.

“Yes. And since you made me answer that one, I get to ask a personal question,” Lena declares, somewhat petulantly.

“These have all been personal questions.”

“How come your dad didn’t come with you to move in?”

Any residual amusement on Alex’s face disappears instantly and she looks down at the pillow in her lap. Lena sucks in a breath and makes a note to get going on a machine that allows people to un-say stupid things.

“You don’t have to answer that,” she remedies quickly.

“No, it’s okay,” Alex starts. “My dad has been MIA since I was eighteen. And not because he bailed or anything, he’s missing in action, presumed dead. He was a consulting civilian scientist for the military, went missing when he was assisting on an operation in South America.”

“I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” Lena’s apology is sincere, and Alex nods a little in acknowledgment. It isn’t much longer before Alex retires to her room, citing her jet lag. Knowing she can watch Netflix just as easily in her room, Lena does the same. As she sets her phone to charge, she notices a text from a couple of hours ago.

_Unknown Number_

_Hey, Lena, it’s Kara. I hope it’s okay that Alex gave me your number. Anyhow, thanks for dinner and that awesome dessert!_

Lena smiles at the unexpected message and dutifully adds Kara to her contacts, with a strawberry emoji next to her name.

_Kara, I’m glad you liked the dinner and yes, it’s okay that Alex gave you my info. Have a safe trip back to Cali._

The reply comes back instantly.

_I’m sure we will. Do me a favor though?_

_Sure thing, what do you want me to do?_

_Look out for Alex for me. Let me know if she’s getting all weird or dark and twisty. I know she won’t want to worry me, but I can fly out there if she needs me._

Lena feels a tightness in her chest at the sweet sincerity of the message.

_Certainly, I can do that. Goodnight, Kara._

_Goodnight, Lena._

The message is finished with an incomprehensible but endearing string of emojis, which make Lena smile as she sets down her phone and turns out the light.


	3. rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Alex are officially moved in together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot is going to start picking up after this. First day of classes, settling into a routine and Alex's favorite holiday, Halloween. Also, I retroactively changed Alex's program so she is in Harvard med which I thought fit in with the show better. Also, first try at Kara's point of view over at NCU. I was hoping to update yesterday but birthday festivities got in the way. Note: being twenty is literally the same as being nineteen.

When Alex wakes the next morning, she is greeted by a swooping feeling her stomach, the kind that comes from waking up somewhere and temporarily forgetting why they are not in their bedroom at home. She shakes it off, reminding herself that this is her bedroom and it is her home. She checks her phone and groans, it’s nearly ten. She had planned to wake around eight o’clock, in an effort to adjust to the time zones quicker. Alex lets out another little groan when she sees a notification from AT&T saying _You have used 90% of your data._ Alex had meant to ask Lena for the Wi-Fi password last night, but their game of twenty questions (and then some) had distracted her. Alex looks back to her phone and sends replies to Eliza and Kara’s texts, indicating that they arrived safely at LAX. She pulls back the covers and forces herself out into the living room. Lena looks up at her from the couch, where she sits sketching something in a notebook, and gives Alex a brief look of bewilderment, as if she too had forgotten Alex was there.

“There’s coffee on in the kitchen.”

“Bless you.”

Alex pours her coffee into the biggest mug she can find and shuffles back out into the living room. She slumps down onto the couch and grabs the remote, flipping on CNN. The talking heads debate something they’ve debated a hundred times before, so Alex studies Lena instead. Whatever Lena is sketching, she’s not happy with how it’s coming out. Every three minutes or so she huffs and flips the page, presumably starting again.

“I was going to visit campus today. I figure, class starts on Wednesday and I haven’t gotten my books yet from the campus store, so I should probably do something about that.” Alex takes a long sip from her mug, basking in the warmth that spreads through her chest.

“That sounds good,” Lena says, in a way that tells Alex she has no idea what she’s replying to. Alex rolls her eyes.

“Do you want to maybe come with? Check things out, see where all our classes are?” Alex prods.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Lena says again, just as lifelessly as before.

“Great, I’ll go get ready.”

Alex takes a long shower, including a solid two minutes navigating the space-age shower, and dresses comfortably in shorts and a t-shirt. She laces up her tennis shoes and grabs her bag, now void of all in-flight entertainment to make room for her textbook purchases.

“Ready to go?” Alex asks. Lena looks up at her as if for the first time. Alex can see the wheels turning as Lena considers their earlier conversation, if it can be called that. Lena gives an embarrassed smile and stands up quickly.

“Right, yes, let me just get my shoes on,” Lena says, straightening herself up as she heads towards the door. Alex stands, waiting on her roommate, and is struck by how young Lena looks. A quick Google search of Lena had produced hundreds of photos of a stoic, harsh girl, aged by hardships. Courtroom photos were particularly severe, showing Lena walking solemnly through angry mobs, dressed as if she were the lawyer and not a witness for the prosecution. In stark contrast, the teenager in front of Alex is shiny with the brilliance of innovation, softened by her casual clothes and loose, dark hair.

Once out of the building, the sunshine and warmth of early midday rejuvenate Alex. Weather was one of her main concerns about moving to the northeast, and she knows she’ll get her comeuppance once winter rolls around, but for now the climate is just fine.

“Why does Kara call your mom Eliza?” Lena asks suddenly.

“She’s adopted,” Alex answers easily.  “She came to us when she was twelve, so it would have been weird and difficult to call new people mom and dad, I think.”

This answer stuns Lena for a moment and Alex gears up for a ‘oh so she’s not your _real_ sister’ bullshit comment.

“I’m adopted, too” she says, finding her voice. Alex raises her eyebrows.

“You didn’t know? I imagined you would have Googled me,” Lena replies matter-of-factly. Alex feels a twinge of guilt.

“Well, yeah, I did,” Alex begins. “But everything that came up was from the…”

“The trial,” Lena finishes dully. “Well if you had dug any farther back, you would have found press releases from when I was four, when the Luthors adopted a little orphaned girl.”

“Why did they adopt?” is Alex’s only reasonable reply. She can’t yet unpack the fact that Lena just referred to her family as ‘the Luthors’ or to herself as a ‘little orphan girl’.

“My mom had a hard pregnancy with Lex, and she was fourteen years older when Lex started asking for a little sibling, so having more biological children were out of the question. I guess when my biological mother died, she was at the Luthor Family Hospital, the staff turned me over to the social workers and Dad heard. Anyway, the next day he brought me home.”

“Wow.”

“Why did your family adopt Kara?”

“When her parents died, her only living next-of-kin was her older cousin, Clark. He wasn’t ready to raise a kid, and he knew my parents had a daughter, so he asked them to take Kara. Then he kind of split, didn’t visit Kara much. We’re her family now,” Alex finished forcefully.

“You’re very protective of her,” Lena observes.

“I have to be,” Alex says noncommittally.

“She’s protective of you too.”

“What do you mean?” Lena briefly considers if she would be breaking Kara’s confidence if she told Alex about their conversation.

“It’s just that, last night, she texted me asking that I watch out for you. Make sure you don’t get too homesick, that kind of thing.”

Alex doesn’t respond to this but instead moves her gaze to the campus gates. Their conversation had carried them all the way to campus. The ivy-covered brick walls look just like in the brochures, but higher and wider, like a fortress housing intellect and influence by the tons.

“It’s big,” Alex says finally.

“Huge,” Lena agrees.

“We’re going to need some more impressive vocabulary before class starts.”

 

* * *

 

“Did you find everything okay?” Alex asks, catching up with Lena as she exits the campus store, overloaded with bags of apparel and other Harvard paraphernalia.

“Yep, found all my classes, coffee spots, library, all that.” Lena says after Alex takes a few things off her hands.

“I didn’t peg you for the school spirit type.”

“I figure, if I’m doing the Harvard thing, I should do it the whole way. Immerse myself in the culture, so to speak.”

“Fair enough. Want to grab lunch?” Alex points out a neat looking café a few blocks down and Lena nods her assent. She allows Alex to take credit for the discovery, not bothering to tell her she’s been eating there for weeks. The bell at the door signals their entrance and Matt looks up at them and grins.

“Miss Luthor, your usual table?”

Busted.

“You have a usual table?” Alex frowns. Lena shrugs and follows Matt to the table.

“Shall I give you and Miss…” Matt trails off.

“Matthew, this is my friend, Alex Danvers.” Once introductions are finished, the host bows out to let them browse the menu.

“So, since you’re a usual, what do you recommend?” Alex says mockingly.

“Very funny. Honestly, all the salads are nice.”

“What about real food? ‘Cause this bacon and avocado grilled cheese sounds incredible.” Lena raises her eyebrows. It occurs to her then that she had only been ordering salads because that’s what Lillian would have suggested she get, in a backhanded comment about looking her best. It also occurs to Lena that the steak, white cheddar, and arugula panini looks irresistible. When Matt returns to the table, that’s exactly what she orders, while Alex orders her over-the-top grilled cheese.

“We should make a list,” Alex declares after the food is delivered to the table.

“What do you mean?”

“We need a list of rules. You know, for roommatehood.” Apparently, Alex has been thinking about this for a while because she pulls a yellow legal pad and a pen.

“That’s fine with me,” Lena says.

“Rule one. You can have guys over whenever, just text me, so I know when to make myself scarce.” Alex jots down the rule as she says it, forcing down a traumatizing memory of her freshman year at Stanford.

“That won’t be an issue,” Lena scoffs. Alex looks confused for a second, then understanding washes over her.

“Oh. You don’t…well good. You’re a little young for that anyway.” Alex winces. When did she turn into her mother?

“No, I do, I just…”

Alex raises her eyebrows in a quizzical look, prompting further explanation.

“I’m a lesbian.” Lena braces herself. Her roommate, however, doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t shout, she doesn’t say she’s moving out. All she does, in fact, is cross out ‘guys’ and write in ‘girls’. Lena breathes once more.

“Okay, rule two. We should let each other know if we’re going to be gone for more than, say, forty-eight hours. Or if we’re going far, like out of state or something, so the other doesn’t get worried,” Alex continues. Lena’s heart clenches in her chest as she nods her approval. She could have disappeared from the Luthor residence for weeks and they would have excused it as her simply being a teenager.

They work their way up to a list of nearly a dozen rules, and when they return to the apartment, Alex tapes it to the fridge. She excuses herself to her room to start her reading assignments, and Lena takes the opportunity to check in with Kara.

 

* * *

 

“Wait, sorry Winn I have to take this,” Kara says, holding up her phone. She accepts the call and puts the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

“Hello, Kara. It’s Lena, Alex’s roommate.” Kara rolls her eyes at the introduction. Winn gives Kara a quizzical look.

“I know who you are, Lena,” Kara says, laughing.

“Well, great. Anyhow, I called to let you know that I think Alex is doing fine here so far. She’s got a little bit of impending school-related nerves, but I think we all get that.”

“That’s great to hear, truly. I love her so much, and I just know we are going to miss each other terribly. I’m sure you know how that is.” Kara’s relief to hear Alex is doing well cuts her stress in half, leaving only her worries about school and making new friends. Although Winn was showing potential, as Kara watched him order two Red Bull Italian sodas from the coffee stand while he waited.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Lena says.

“I just meant, you probably miss Lex sometimes.”

“Well…”

“Lena, he’s still your brother,” Kara insists. She hears a soft sigh through the phone.

“I do miss him sometimes. But enough about me, are you ready for NCU to start?” Lena’s voice is quick and affected. It makes Kara wish she had said nothing at all.

“Me? I’m wonderful. Lucy, my roommate is amazing and her boyfriend, James, is nice. I met this kid Winn at the IT Service Desk and he’s a dork – shush, Winn, I’m kidding – but very kind and helpfully. Are you happy now?” Kara hisses to Winn, who smirks and hands her the Italian soda. Lena laughs, presumably at her side conversation, and Kara is struck by the melodic sound.

“That’s good to hear,” Lena says politely. “When do your classes start?”

“Three days from now, Wednesday. Same as you, I think.”

“Yes, we start Wednesday as well. Actually, I should get started on my readings. That’s what Alex is doing right now.”

“Hardly. She’s sent me at least four texts in the last twenty minutes saying how boring her reading is. I’ll let you go though. Bye, Lena.”

“Goodbye, Kara.”

Kara hangs up and picks up her conversation with Winn. She lets her mind wander a bit as Winn details all aspects of his IT job. _Alex is so lucky to have such a nice roommate,_ she thinks. _At least he’s better than that Mike creep that James got stuck with._

 

* * *

 

“Hey, do you have plans – oh sorry,” Alex quiets, waving a hand in apology at seeing Lena on the phone.

“No, it’s fine, they just hung up.” Lena sets about organizing and folding her campus store purchases. She’ll send Lionel the Harvard Dad shirt by courier tomorrow, along with a matching one for Lillian, which is more a joke than anything. She can just see Lillian’s struggle between keeping up the appearance of a proud mother and the threat of wearing a cotton blend t-shirt.

“I can’t believe you bought all this stuff,” Alex says, peering at the mountain covering their kitchen table.

“Well these are for my parents, pennants for my old nanny, Marie, and her husband, and my driver, Frank. The sweatpants and t-shirt are for me.”

“What about this one?” Alex holds a baseball tee with a Harvard Med logo. The look Lena gives in response is an insult to her intellect.

“It’s for you. I got some for your mom and Kara, as well.” Sure enough, a Harvard mom and Harvard pennant sit on the pulled-out chair to Alex’s left.

“Perfect, I was going to send Kara a care package for her first day. You can put the pennant in the box, with a note so she knows it’s from you.”

“That works. What all are you putting in her care package?”

“Pencils, steno pads, a flash drive, and a little stuffed dragon.” Alex lists the items while she absentmindedly folds her new shirt.

“Okay, the stuffed animal I get, but why all the office supplies?” Surely Eliza bought Kara all the school supplies she needed once they landed in National City.

“Kara finds romanticism in pencils,” Alex explains.

“Romanticism in pencils?” Lena is sure she must have cotton in her ears.

Alex nods and continues. “She loves the idea of something natural and impermanent, something that has to be lessened in order to serve its purpose effectively. She says it’s a metaphor for life.”

“So, she’ll have no problem in her one hundred level composition class, coming up with overly deep themes,” Lena jokes, eliciting harsh laugh from Alex before she powers on.

“The steno pads are because she’s going to be a reporter, even if she doesn’t know it yet. The flash drive is because I was supposed to remind her to get one, but I forgot and there is no way she remembered on her own.”

Alex’s line of sight goes to the western window, where the summer sun lays low over the city. Lena begins to understand something about Alex. She’s a born caretaker, and for all her wit and toughness, she couldn’t hide that if she tried. Not that she would, because Lena has also learned that Alex is immensely proud of her title as Kara and Eliza’s rock.

“Does the Vatican know about you?” Lena says lightheartedly. Alex’s eyebrows knit together in puzzlement. “As in, you should be put up for sainthood.”

“Oh,” Alex says. “It’s more like making up for past injustices. I was kind of horrible to Kara for the first six months or so, and after that I was just kind of indifferent. It took a long time for me to be nice to her, let alone love her like I do now.”

“I would never have guessed,” Lena says truthfully.

“Well, I’m a mystery, a puzzle, an enigma, a conundrum.” Alex gestures wildly as she piles on the drama, before flopping down onto the couch and reaching for the remote.

“What are we watching?” Lena asks as the cursor scrolls through Netflix.

“All this talk of Kara is putting me in the mood for a cheesy 80’s movie, her favorites.” Alex tosses Lena a blanket and makes her selection.

“The Princess Bride, nice. Hey, I’m going to grab some popcorn, you want anything?” Lena stands up, padding towards the kitchen.

“Virgin Jack and Coke!” Alex shouts at her back.

“That’s just a Coke!” Lena yells back, grabbing a can from the fridge while she watches the popcorn bag expand.

“And yet, it’s what I want!”

“As you wish!”


	4. halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> School starts. Kara visits in time for Alex's favorite holiday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit longer and I'm fairly happy with it. If you guys are interested, I'll post in the next chapter's notes the full list of house rules, or let them be introduced sporadically, with a few additions. Your comments have been so encouraging, so I tried to put out a good chapter for you before my workload ramps up this week.

It happens just as Lena is leaving her Corporate Finance lecture. She’s barely into the hall when a voice calls out to her to wait up. She turns around, searching for the source of the voice and stops. A short kid who Lena remembers from the roll call, named Timothy Han, storms up to her. He barely halts in time to avoid collision, placing him well within Lena’s personal space.

“What are you doing here, Luthor?” His tone is harsh, but nothing compared to the flash in his eyes. Lena straightens up her shoulders.

“I’m here to study,” she says simply. Whatever is going to happen next, she decides, is just going to happen. She might as well accept that.

“Yeah, right. Your sick bastard of a brother killed my uncle, and you’re just here to study,” he seethes, pushing further into Lena space until she backs into the wall. The hallway is empty now, save for a few people who see, but do nothing.

“Eric Han,” Lena breathes, finally understanding. She remembers the names of every one of them that died in the square that day. Eric Han had been just seven feet from Lex’s device when it went off.

“Don’t say his name!” Timothy slams his fist into the wall, inches to her right. He pulls his fist back slowly. Lena tries not to tense up as she prepares for the blow.

“Hey! Get away from her!” a voice shouts. Lena’s assailant looks around for a second and the distraction buys enough time for Lena to slip out of his line of fire. She vaguely registers that Alex looks taller than usual before she starts to go numb.

For the next minute or so, Lena watches but does not hear as Alex tells off the boy, advising him sharply that he should consider changing his schedule. He’s fuming, as his attempt at retribution is spoiled, and as he walks away from Alex, he makes a path back towards Lena.

“Walk the other way,” Alex commands lowly. Once again, he punches the wall, causing Lena to jump. This seems to satisfy him, at least enough that he turns around and heads for the south exit. Lena touches her cheeks in disbelief, expecting some swelling or cut to appear. She knows he did not land a hit, but it feels like he did. Alex watches Lena’s trancelike expression for a moment.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Lena says instantly.

“What classes do you still have?”

“That was my last. I was going to the library next. I should go there now.” Lena’s voice is emotionless as she turns towards the door.

“Hey, wait up,” Lena winces at Alex’s words. “Let me walk you back to the apartment. You can study there.”

Lena nods and they begin the trek back towards their building. Lena still isn’t fully present, and at one point, Alex is forced to grab her arm to keep her from walking into traffic. Once in the apartment, Alex leads her to the couch and Lena finally opens back up.

“That sucked.”

And then Lena starts to laugh. Alex stares, open-mouthed.

“That sucked,” Lena repeats, giggling. “I just got attacked by a kid whose uncle my brother killed, and all I come up with is ‘that sucked’? I had a perfect verbal SAT, I’m a god damn dictionary and that’s the best I can do?”

“You don’t seem okay,” Alex says obviously. “Should I call someone?”

“Who would you call?” Lena says, wiping a tear from her eye.

“I don’t know, your mom?”

“Feel free, but all she’ll want to know is if my face is too marred to catch a proper husband.” Lena’s laughter turns to hysterics. Alex stands stock-still, unsure of her place in this situation.

“A proper husband?” She tries to pivot the conversation. “They don’t know you’re gay?”

“They know, they just don’t accept that. Or at least, Lillian knows. I actually don’t know if she ever told Lionel.” The change of subject seems to be helping Lena a bit. At least she’s stopped laughing.

“Well, that…” Alex nearly says ‘sucks.’ “…is bullshit.”

“Yep.”

“Do you have any, I don’t know, comfort foods?” Alex asks.

“I don’t know. Lasagna, maybe? I don’t really feel like cooking though, so I might just order pizza.” Lena has apparently missed the point of Alex’s question. Without a word, Alex walks to the kitchen and starts pulling out ingredients. Lena sinks further into the couch, now feeling overwhelmed. The first day of classes were hard enough, let alone a confrontation like the one she has just had.

 

* * *

 

“Where are you?” Lena demands, after Alex picks up one of her dozen calls. A few weeks into the semester, Alex and Lena have developed a consistent enough pattern that when Lena hasn’t seen Alex for two days, she starts to get worried.

“I’m in the lab. I was going to text you, but my phone died, and I was a bit preoccupied. I only just remembered I keep a spare charger in my bag. So, what’s up, did you just wake up?” Alex sounds groggy. Sleep deprived, Lena assumes, since Alex should know she gets up much earlier than this.

“Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Uh, six maybe. Haven’t checked the clock in a bit. I’m like minutes away from a breakthrough here, just waiting on the centrifuge now.” Alex looks over at the machine, still whirring away.

“It’s 8:36. You have class at 9:00.”

“Shit.”

“Stay there, I’m coming.” Lena hangs up and grabs an empty rucksack from her closet. She hesitantly enters Alex’s room and picks out jeans and a top for her. She falters, with her hand on Alex’s top dresser drawer, trying to decide if Alex would rather have clean undergarments or have Lena not rifle through them. After a minute, Lena figures if it were her she would rather have the clean clothes.

She considers for a moment what else Alex would want and settles on a toothbrush, deodorant, and coffee in the largest receptacle she can find. Lena checks the clock. 8:42.

When she gets to the biology department, Lena chuckles, seeing Alex leaning half-asleep against an incubator.

“Take this and get cleaned up,” Lena commands. Alex nods, yawning, before she disappears into the ladies’ room. She comes out looking only slightly more awake.

“Trade,” Lena takes the bag of dirty clothes and hands Alex the thermos of coffee.

“Bless you.” Alex takes a long swig of the coffee, and then grabs her bag. She pulls Lena into a quick and slightly awkward hug and shuffles towards the door. She grins when she hears Lena call out behind her.

“Rule two!”

 

* * *

 

Alex is sitting on the couch, Skyping with Kara when Lena comes out of her room dressed to the nines and holding two pairs of heels.

“Alex, which of these goes better with this dress?” Lena starts. Alex turns the laptop towards her, and Lena blushes furiously at seeing Kara, dumbstruck, through the screen. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize.”

“It’s fine, Lena. And I think the silver ones look better,” Alex decides. Lena sits down on the couch and begins to put them on.

“Are you kidding? The black ones are way better,” Kara says, forcing Lena to halt for a second.

“Well as long as there’s a consensus,” she says dully.

“Where are you going? That could help us decide.” Alex nods along to Kara’s inquiry.

“I’m going to a gala on LuthorCorp’s behalf.” Absentmindedly, Lena tucks a loose hair behind her ear.

“That sounds like so much fun!”

“Yes, Kara, I have rarely experienced such joy and entertainment like the same forty old men bringing me drinks, asking me to dance, and angling for LuthorCorp contracts. Oh, and their lovely wives, who so graciously introduce me to their eligible sons.”

“Wow,” Alex says. “Do you ever, say, run out of sarcasm or is it an unlimited supply?”

“It is endless, unlike the time I have before I need to leave. Now, please, the shoes.”

“Kara’s right, the black ones are better,” Alex finally says.

“Thank you.” Lena puts them on and stands up. “Okay, final check. Does this look all right?”

She checks her phone while the Danvers sisters inspect her. It’s a very different feeling that Lillian’s inspections. For one, Lena doesn’t expect any biting remarks about updating her wardrobe or selecting a more demure lipstick color.

“You look marvelous,” Kara tells her. Lena feels her cheeks redden and she nods her thanks.

“You really do. Wait, should I be taking photos like a mom before prom?” Alex teases, reaching for her phone. Lena rolls her eyes as Alex starts snapping pictures and starts walking towards the door. Alex and Kara pile on the compliments (“Gorgeous!” “Stunning!” “A gift to humanity!”) before all-out wolf whistling. Lena laughs and flips them off over her shoulder before walking out the door.

When Lena returns that night, tired and slightly tipsy, she goes into the kitchen to get a bottle of water. There, taped to the fridge next to the list of rules, is the photo of her walking out the door with her middle finger in the air.

 

* * *

 

“What are you doing this Friday?” Alex’s question pulls Lena’s attention from a case study on internal controls.

“Uh, nothing?” Wrong answer, if Alex’s resulting expression is any indicator.

“Lena, it’s Halloween, the best holiday of the year. Kara is coming to visit, and I’ve been invited to a party one of the biomed majors is throwing. You should come with us.” Alex looks about as excited as Lena had ever seen her.

“I’ll think about it.”

“You’re coming. As your pseudo-sibling, I’ve decided you have to.”

“Pseudo-sibling?”

“It’s a self-proclaimed title, sure, but one I think I’ve earned,” Alex says assuredly.

“That you have,” Lena agrees.

“Which means you’re coming. The theme is 80’s movies, and I’m requiring that you wear a costume. I’m going as Sloan Peterson, if that helps. I think Kara is still deciding between Princess Buttercup or Andy Clark.”

“Hot princess or hot jock, what a crisis,” Lena jokes. She doesn’t miss the way Alex’s eyes narrow.

“Hey, that’s my sister you’re talking about,” she chides.

“Sorry,” Lena remedies, before changing the subject. “I think I have an idea for my costume.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I think I’ll let it be a surprise.”

“Okay…”

 

* * *

 

The morning of Halloween, Lena wakes at five to find all her left shoes stolen, with a gleeful note on her closet door.

_Didn’t know if you wanted a trick or a treat so I went with the former. Kara’s flying in at 6, so I’m off to the airport to pick her up. I’m gonna pick up donuts on the way back so call me to let me know what kind you like._

  * _Alex_



Lena sighs and grabs her phone.

“Hello?” The voice on the other side of the phone is decidedly not Alex.

“Kara? Is Alex there?” Lena looks back to the note, which indicates

“I’m here, Lena. You’re on speaker.”

“Okay, first off, thank you so much for reorganizing my wardrobe. Now, where are my shoes?”

“Your shoes? I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.” Alex laughs.

“Funny. And if you’re getting donuts, I like maple bars.”

“Sure thing.”

Lena hangs up and rolls out her yoga mat to start her morning routine. After her shower, Lena takes exceptional care with her hair and makeup, for no particular reason. She’s just finished when she hears Kara and Alex out in the living room.

“Wow, it’s so much cozier than the last time I was here,” Kara observes.

“What do you mean?”

“I just mean it looks more lived-in. I love your refrigerator decorations,” Kara says as Lena leaves her room.

“Oh, yes, its quite possibly the best photo of me ever taken,” Lena drawls. “Certainly, better than the portrait in my father’s study.”

“Oh, hi Lena!” Kara pulls her into a tight hug, as if they’ve known each other for years.

“Come get a donut, Kara,” Alex says, opening the box. She happily obliges, leaving Lena dumbstruck. She recovers after a moment and reaches for her bag before taking a donut to go. Alex pulls open the drawer beneath the oven and hands Lena her left sneaker.

“We’re leaving at seven tonight, so be ready by then.”

“Yep, see you then. I hope you have a good time touring the campus today, Kara.”

 

* * *

 

“Kara, what’s wrong?” Alex asks her sister, who is looking a little green around the gills.

“I’m fine, I just didn’t realize how gross human bodies were,” she says weakly. Alex sighs.

“I warned you that you might not like this anatomy class.”

“I just thought it would be fun to see what you’re studying.” Kara looks a bit pitiful, averting her gaze from the projection of a bisected liver.  “I’m just going to step out. I’ll find us some coffee and meet you when class is done.

“Okay, I’ll meet you just outside the door.”

Kara sneaks out as silently as possible and wanders outside. She spots a coffee cart outside the next building over, and strolls in that direction.

“One large black coffee and a medium white chocolate mocha.” Kara reaches for her wallet as the barista sets about making her order.

“And a vanilla latte, please.” Kara nearly jumps out of her skin as Lena slides up next to her, laying a crisp fifty-dollar bill on the counter. “Keep the change.”

“Wow, thanks,” Kara says nervously. The barista hands the girls their drinks and the start walking back towards the hall.

“It’s nothing,” Lena assures. “Aren’t you supposed to be with Alex?”

“Yeah, I snuck into her anatomy class, but I got a little squeamish, so I had to bail.”

“Yeah, dissecting organs isn’t really my thing either.” Lena guides Kara to a bench where they sit, enjoying one of the last warm, sunny days of the year. “So how come you’re skipping class to celebrate Halloween on the other side of the country?”

“It’s Alex’s favorite holiday. Plus, Winn and James promised to take notes for me in the classes we share. It’s not a big deal.”

“That’s nice of them,” Lena says as Kara takes sip of her coffee.

“Yeah, they’re very sweet to me. James is my roommate Lucy’s boyfriend and Winn is a guy I met at the IT desk. I couldn’t figure out how to hook up by computer mouse with my laptop. Things are kind of weird with him right now, though.”

“Weird how?” Lena asks. Kara bites her lip for a second, appraising Lena.

“Okay, I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell Alex.”

“Yikes, I don’t know if you should –”

“He kissed me,” Kara blurts out.

“And you didn’t want him to?” Lena asks delicately.

“Not at all. I suspected he had a crush on me, but I told him I only want to be friends. So, we’re figuring it out, but I think the awkwardness will wear off with some time.” Kara can hardly believe how easy it is talking to Lena. She hadn’t planned to tell Alex because she didn’t want to worry her sister with something as trivial as boy troubles.

“Well, I’m sure it will work out. If he’s a true friend, he’ll come around.” Lena’s words are a comfort to Kara.

“Thanks, Lena. This really helped.” Kara flashes Lena a dazzling smile. She checks her watches and shoots to her feet. “Dang, I’m late to meet Alex. Thanks again for the talking and the coffee. I’ll see you tonight Lena.”

“I’ll see you tonight,” Lena repeats. She watches Kara’s retreating form, feeling considerably happier than before.

 

* * *

 

Back at the apartment, Lena reaches into the farthest corner of her closet. At the time, Lena had thought herself silly and nostalgic for packing it, but her boarding school uniform is coming in handy. The skirt, which fell to her knees when she first got it, at fourteen, was borderline scandalous now. That, paired with a new white button down and a little plaid tie to match the skirt, and Lena is more than halfway there. She takes care to apply heavy eyeshadow and give her hair some major volume. The last piece of her costume is an ill-fitting, shoulder padded, bright red blazer, which she found at a thrift store earlier in the week.

Lena tries to study some before the party but finds it hard not to stare at one of the photos sitting next to the monitor. Jack, Veronica, and herself, wearing the same uniform she is now, on the first day of her last year at school. Both girls plant overdramatic kisses on Jack’s cheeks while he grins widely at the camera. Lex had taken the photo after helping her move in.

“We’re back!” Kara calls from the doorway. Lena stand up and sets the frame down quickly, knocking over her pen cup. She fumbles for a minute, resetting the desk.

What Lena does not see is Kara, behind her, with her jaw on the floor. She nearly short-circuits upon seeing Lena’s shapely legs, all the way up to curves that her skirt barely covers. Alex catches up with her and gives Kara a sharp look, nudging her in the ribs, just as Lena turns around.

“Lena, who are you supposed to be? Slutty Catholic girl #5?” Alex demands. Before Lena, could answer, Kara points at the red blazer hanging on the back of Lena’s desk chair.

“Look, Alex, she’s Heather Chandler.”

“That’s fitting,” Alex says. Lena smirks, knowing already what Alex is about to say. Kara takes a bit longer to catch on.

“Why? Were you like a queen bee in high school?” Kara asks, to which Lena shakes her head.

“She is a mythic bitch.” Lena and Alex say at the same time, affecting their voices with Veronica’s characteristic ~~infatuation~~ reverence. Kara laughs lightly in a way that definitely does not cause Lena’s stomach to flip.

“You too have been living together too long. Come on, we’ve got to get our costumes on too,” Kara says, reaching for her bag. Lena occupies herself with her phone while she waits for them to return from Alex’s room.

“I would never have imagined seeing you in a white leather fringed jacket, but I have to say, it suits you,” Lena teases as Alex runs a hand through her long, dark hair. Sloan Peterson, indeed. Taking in Kara’s costume, Lena nearly chokes. From the white high-top converse to the cuffed light wash jeans paired with a blue tank top that shows off her frankly ridiculous biceps, Kara is the perfect Andrew Clark. “So, you picked jock over princess?”

“Yep,” Kara replies, “but only because it lets me carry around a huge bag of food and I can say it’s part of the costume.” For emphasis, she shakes the brown grocery bag of snacks she plans to carry with her all night.

“It’s perfect for someone with her metabolism. Here, put on the jacket.” Alex hands Kara her Midvale letterman jacket, in the school’s blue and white, littered with track and cross-country patches. Lena quietly reminds herself that this is Kara, Alex’s sister. Correction: Alex’s unbelievably hot sister.

“Okay! Let’s go!” Alex, shockingly, matches Kara’s enthusiasm. Lena inhales deeply as she follows the Danvers out the door.

 

* * *

 

As the cab turns onto the road matching the address Alex had been given, it becomes apparent which house was hosting the party. Cars are parked up and down the street, while bass pounds from a brightly lit two-story home. As they walk towards the door, Lena’s chest seizes with nerves, knowing the people inside would know who she is, who her brother was. Kara seems to notice this and reaches for her hand knowingly.

“It’s okay. I’ve never been to a party like this either,” Kara assures. “Plus, we’ve got Alex, who is more than experienced, and we’ve got each other.” Kara had completely misread her nervousness, but Lena nods along, comforted by the hand holding her own and the easy way Kara says they have each other. Alex knocks at the door and after a moment with no answer, opens the door and walks right in, Lena and Kara trailing behind. They navigate their way to the kitchen to get drinks, weaving between a crowd of costumed partygoers.

“What’s your drink?” Alex asks Lena, looking across the kitchen island of bottles and mixers.

“Vodka martini, straight up, with a twist,” Lena replies, only half kidding.

“Got it,” Alex pours a healthy amount of vodka into a plastic cup with nothing else and hands it to Lena challengingly. Kara’s eyes go wide when Lena sets her countenance and drains the cup, before handing it back to Alex for a refill.

“Slow down, Luthor, I’m not carrying your sorry ass back to the apartments tonight. What do you want to drink, Kara?” Alex sets about pouring a Jack and Coke for herself and another for Lena, while Kara deliberates.

“Something fruity,” she decides. Nodding, Alex pours a cup of lemonade, topped off with strawberry lemonade flavored Svedka. Lena cringes at the sight of the bottle, remembering a particularly wild night at school with Veronica. Well, not so much the night as the morning after. Why they’d bought such cheap vodka, she’ll never know.

Drinks in hand, they make their way into the living room, where the music pounds so that Lena can barely hear herself think. In seconds, some guy dressed as Marty McFly swoops in to ask Kara to dance, which she politely accepts. Alex’s eyes narrow, but she refrains from comment. Knocking back her drink, Alex disappears back to the kitchen. She returns with a couple of plastic shot glasses and a bottle of tequila.

“We’re not doing shots,” Lena says immediately.

“You might not be, but I sure as hell am,” her roommate answered easily. She filled both shot glasses and threw them back in quick succession.

“You can’t keep up with me anyways.” Lena sighs. She knows, _she knows_ she’s being baited but she absolutely cannot let Alex get away with it.

“You’re on.” To even the score, Lena takes two longs swigs from the bottle before handing it to Alex, who refilled the shot glasses.

“We need a game.” Alex looks around as if for inspiration.

“Drink every time Kara’s too nice to not dance with some guy,” Lena jokes, watching yet another unremarkable drunk boy in an indiscernible costume asked her to dance. They watch the interaction, groaning when Kara nods, blushing slightly. Before they drink, Alex give a prediction for the evening,

“We’re going to die.”

 

* * *

 

Kara does not like to party. She came here with the intention of hanging out with her sister and Lena, who are nowhere to be found. All night, drunk guys have pleaded with her for just one more dance, one more song. She has no idea why; considering she’s not that good of a dancer. She makes a path out back, where only a dying bonfire lights the backyard. There she finds Lena staring curiously at an empty bottle of tequila.

“Hey, Lena, where’s Alex?” Instead of answering, Lena points across the yard, where Alex is dancing wildly on a picnic table. She sways dangerously, until a young man puts out his hand, coaxing her off the table. Kara relaxes a bit when her sister is safely back on the ground. The young man leans in to say something to Alex, and Kara can’t help but zero in on the conversation.

“You want to get out of here?” he asks.

“Uh, sure,” Alex agrees. Kara cringes, wishing she hadn’t eavesdropped. Prince Charming tries to get Alex to walk with him, but her steps are far from steady, so Kara swoops in, working hard to hold back her superspeed.

“I’ve got it from here,” Kara insists over his protests, taking Alex’s hand.

“I’m fine, Kara, you don’t have to be a hero” Alex slurs. Kara winces at the choice of words before waving Lena over. She follows obediently, apparently unable to let go of the tequila bottle. Eventually, Kara successfully herds them into the cab.

“Hey! You drank too. How come you’re not drunk?” Lena sits up quickly as she says it, immediately regretting it, Kara thinks, by the way she clutches her stomach. Alex says nothing, pouting.

“I haven’t had a drink since my first one, and that was hours ago.” Of course, Lena wouldn’t know that alcohol doesn’t affect her, doesn’t know why it doesn’t. Kara barely knows Lena, but still feels guilty lying to her. Not that it matters since Kara’s answer seems to have satisfied her. Within minutes, both inebriated passengers are asleep. Kara gives the cab driver the address and tries desperately not to think of what might have happened to Alex if she had not been there.

 

* * *

 

Late morning sun streaks through the blinds when Lena wakes. Immediately, she registers two things. One, her head would feel better chopped off than in its current place. Two, she is not alone in her bed. Mussed blonde hair has Lena wondering just what she got herself into last night, when she realizes who it was.

“Kara?” Lena whispered. Kara’s eyes, still hidden behind her glasses, flutter open. She blinks, once, twice, and, realizing her bedmate is not a mirage, sits up instantly.

“Lena, I’m so sorry,” Kara starts, which just confuses her more. “When we got back I was going to crash with Alex but she was still pissed at me so I was going to sleep on the couch, but you kept insisting I sleep with you, but I was going to move once you’d fallen asleep so you wouldn’t be freaked when you woke up and I must have fallen asleep and-”

“Kara, it’s fine,” Lena whispers emphatically, trying to shush Kara to appease the hammering behind her eyes. Kara’s eyes widen as she nods, glancing over at the door. Looking at the clock, Lena is shocked to see it is nearly 11:00.

“Should we wake her?”

“You can, but she’s already mad at me and Alex likes her sleep.” That’s twice now that Kara has mentioned Alex being angry with her, and for the life of her, Lena cannot remember why. She is also acutely aware of how close and how warm Kara was, how her perfume smells so softly of lilacs. She shakes her throbbing head, reminding herself that Kara is straight, and Alex’s sister and she could not be thinking of her that way, even in her own mind.

“Why would she be mad at you?”

“She was really wasted, and I stopped her from going upstairs with some guy. I know she’s an adult and all, but I don’t think she was in any condition to be making those decisions. She hates it when I step in. She doesn’t need saved.” Kara says the last part harshly, clearly having heard it more than a few times.

“She says she doesn’t want saved, but I’m sure she’ll appreciate it in the long run.” Lena thinks about Lex, who was always trying to save her too, and for a moment, she allows herself to miss him. As she reflects, Kara’s stomach rumbling breaks the silence.

“Brunch?” Lena suggests, to Kara’s delight. Apparently, this was worth waking Alex for, because she immediately hops up and exits the room. Lena selects clothes and heads for the shower as Kara gently shifts Alex’s shoulder.

“Fuck off.” Alex’s voice comes rasping from under the covers.

Kara musters up her best Eliza impression and shouts, “Alexandra Caroline Danvers! Get out of bed!”

In her sleepy and hungover state, Alex sits bolt upright. When she registers the sun and its human counterpart, Alex growls and moves to the edge of the bed. She attempts to tackle Kara, which precipitates the same level of success as if Alex had tried to tackle a statue. When Alex ends her futile attempts, Kara puts her arms around her.

“I’m sorry you’re mad and I’m sorry you’re hungover. Now, forgive me so we can go get brunch.”

Alex eyes Kara, cursing her Kryptonian strength.

“You’re forgiven, but this is not forgotten.”

 

* * *

 

Brunch is a polite, if quiet affair. Alex and Lena trade small remembrances as they sip Bloody Mary’s, like why Lena has an empty tequila bottle on her nightstand. Alex feels more than a little guilty when Kara asks them about their version of last night.

“Why did you two get so drunk anyway?”

Alex looks at Lena, who returns a look that says ‘ _She’s your sister’._

“We kind of made a game. Out of the fact that you were too nice to deny any guy a dance," Alex finishes swiftly. Instead of being irritated, Kara laughs.

“I just had no idea how to get them to leave me alone.”

“Try being less beautiful,” Lena says. Immediately, she blames the slip on the alcohol.

“Well, thank you Lena, I’ll give that a try,” Kara replies airily.

“Going to be hard, isn’t it?” Alex teases. “Since you’re the fairest in the land?”

“Exactly.” Kara digs into her pancakes while Lena waves down the waiter. She slips a hundred-dollar bill into his hand and tells him they’re square. At this, Alex takes offense.

“You know I am capable of paying for my own stuff.”

“I’m aware that you can, you just don’t have to. I suggested brunch, so you are my invited guests.” This is all the argument Lena needs to make as they turn back to regular conversation.

“I can take a cab to the airport without you, Alex. I promise, I’m fully capable of telling the driver where to go,” Kara says, once they’re outside the restaurant. Alex appraises her for a second and decides its okay. The pretense that Kara is going to board a plane is a bit exhausting, when really, she’d be taking a cab to the edge of the city, so her sister could take off without witnesses.

“Have a safe flight,” Alex whispers when they hug. Kara’s giggle is barely audible, but still it makes her nervous. Kara climbs into the cab seat and waves goodbye.

“Lena, thank you for having me this weekend and you should text me sometime. We don’t have to restrict our conversations to this dork,” Kara instructs, pointing at Alex. She shuts the door and the cab merges onto the road and out of sight. Lena takes out her phone and sends a hasty text.

_Have a safe flight! I promise the next time I won't make a game out of how nice you are, and we can actually hang out_


	5. thanksgiving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex falls ill. Lena accompanies her home for a Danvers Thanksgiving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You would be shocked how weird it is to write for 2011. The differences are so small but annoying, looking up popular music and movies, and things like the fact that snapchat only started in September of 2011. Originally, it was going to be Alex and Lena's line of communication through the summer but it would have bugged me to have that anachronism. Hope this is okay!

The first bout of flu that courses through the school knocks Alex on her ass. After muddling through one day of class, she gives in and stays home. Her professors are kind and understanding, considering people with M.D.’s generally understand that her staying home is good for the public health. On Tuesday she wakes up with a headache bordering on migraine and a fever that had her shuddering and sweating through the night.

“Hey,” Lena says softly. “I won’t turn on the light, but I’m setting a bottle of water on your nightstand here. You should really try to drink it to keep hydrated. You probably don’t want to eat but try for some fruit later. I’m pretty sure you were close to scurvy even before you were sick.”

“I know,” Alex replies petulantly. “I’m going to be a doctor. I know how to take care of myself.”

“Well, Dr. Danvers, you’re not doing a very convincing job of it.”

“Funny.”

“Speaking of Dr. Danvers, you should call your mom. If you call her now while you’re sick and sympathetic, emphasis on pathetic, she can’t be mad at your for not calling the last few weeks,” Lena advises. Alex peers curiously at her from within her nest of blankets.

“How do you know I haven’t called her lately?”

“Kara told me. Eliza’s having a rough time without you two, and she’s been directing it all at Kara because she knows you can’t just drop everything and fly out there.” Lena smiles softly, remembering Kara’s griping phone call. Their line of communication never seemed to stop, and now Kara was trying to her to download something called SnapChat.

“Pile on the guilt, why don’t you,” Alex whines, “as if I wasn’t already dying.” She hates how feeble she sounds but the invisible drill currently forcing its way into her cerebrum compels her to drop her toughness for a day.

“Shush, you’re not dying. Is there anything special you want me to get you today? Maybe some kind of comfort food?”

“All I want is my mom’s matzoh ball soup.”

“I can do that.” Lena heads towards the door.

“Lena, if you do something crazy like buy a plane ticket for a container of soup I will force myself to get better just so I can kick your ass.”

“Maybe that’s my plan, so you have to force yourself to get better,” Lena calls out from the door. The apartment door shuts and Alex tries to go back to sleep.

After a fitful hour of attempted sleep, Alex gives up and tries to read for the classes she’s missing. The detailed description of necrotic tissue, which wouldn’t have bothered her any other day, had her retching in the bathroom two paragraphs in. Alex eventually drags herself out into the kitchen and grabs a banana and a Gatorade, hoping to replace some lost electrolytes. She takes a sip of the orange Gatorade and resolves to call her mother, for reasons totally separate from Lena’s admonishment. The time in the top corner of her phone reads 12:42 so adjusting for time zones, Alex knows Eliza will probably be available to talk.

“Alex? Is everything okay?” Eliza’s voice is full of concern, causing a twinge of guilt in Alex’s gut.

“Yeah, mom, I just thought I’d give you a call and check in.”

“So, this has nothing to do with the fact that you’re flu-ridden and bored?” Eliza asks lightly.

“How did you know?”

“Lena told Kara and Kara told me when she called to ask for my matzoh ball soup recipe. Something about needing home food. Just so you know, your sister was about two minutes from risking her identity to fly out there. I told her you’re a grown woman and you can take care of yourself.” Alex preens a little at the compliment.

“Well thank you, I am perfectly capable.”

“Call your sister and tell her that. Stubborn girl,” Eliza huffs.

“Good thing her actions can in no way attributed to my influence,” Alex says drily. Eliza laughs softly.

“Yes, thank goodness she’s independently hard-headed. Okay, I need to get back to work, honey. Feel better.”

“Thanks, mom. Bye.”

Alex ends the call and stares at the contact photo for her mother, from a conference for which she had been the keynote speaker. She scrolls through her camera and selects a new one. The picture was taken just before school started, Eliza standing excitedly in front of the Old North Church, her arm wrapped around Kara. Little did she know, Kara had (in a moment of maturity) given her bunny ears.

“Lucy, I’m home!” Lena’s Ricky Ricardo impression pulls a chuckle out of Alex. She hears rustling out in the hall and briefly considers going out into the living room when Lena appears in her doorway.

“Are you feeling any better?”

“Not really. I called my mother, and somehow she already knew I was ill,” Alex reports. Lena glances down at her hands.

“I mentioned it in passing to Kara, she must have told Eliza.”

“Mhm. Well, you were right, she didn’t even mention my inconsistent communication.”

“Have you eaten anything?” Lena asks. Alex points to the banana peel in the trash and the half empty Gatorade on the side table. Lena gives a satisfied nod.

“Okay, well I’m going to go work on some stuff. Holler if you need anything.” Alex temporarily wishes she hadn’t agreed to keep Lena’s privacy from the press, because the world needs to know Lena Luthor says things like ‘holler’.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Lena. Did you get all the stuff?” Kara asks by way of greeting.

“Yes. Before we start, would this be easier via Skype? That way you can see in case I mess up?” Lena looks across the counter at her ingredients, checking once again to ensure she has everything.

“That would be better. What's your username?”

“llluthor, no caps.” A pause.

“Okay found you. What's the middle L for?”

Lena adds Kara as a friend, ignoring her question, and hits video call. Kara pops up on the screen, mock-exasperated.

“You're really not going to tell me?”

“You'll have to guess.” Lena knows Kara won't guess her middle name in a million years.

“Lily.”

“No. Now, what do I do first?”

“Okay, just a sec. Eliza's cursive is hard to read. Does this say butter chicken? That can't be right.” Kara holds the printed scan of an index card up to the screen.

“Butchered, I think. Like in half?”

“Sounds right,” Kara agrees. Lena carefully lines up the meat cleaver with the center of the chicken and cuts through. She diligently follows Eliza's instructions in preparing the chicken soup aspect of the meal.

“Next, you start the matzoh balls. Is it Lillian, after your mom?”

“No.”

While Lena makes the matzoh batter, Kara tries Lexie, Liv, and Liz, frowning when Lena tells her all three of those names are short for something else, and Luthors don't have shortened names.

“It's not a masculine name like Lex or Lionel, right? Or Lenny?”

“God, no,” she scoffs, putting the dough in the fridge to firm up.

“So, how sick is Alex, really? Because she never misses school.”

“She's sick enough that I invested in lots of Lysol.”

“Weird. Oh, and you were right about Winn, it's all good now.”

“I'm glad to hear it.”

“Yeah, now I have a whole other boy thing, but I won't bother you with that. I'm sure you have your own boys fawning all over you.” Lena makes a little noise of disbelief and looks away from the camera. “Oh, come on. With your looks? And brains? And sense of humor?”

“Between the Luthor thing and the lesbian thing, boys are not really a concern of mine,” Lena says finally, walking towards the fridge. Kara frowns.

“I didn’t know you were gay.” Lena stops dead in her tracks, nearly dropping the bowl of batter.

“I thought Alex would have told you.”

“Alex wouldn’t out somebody,” Kara says obviously. Lena feels a swell of affection for the Danvers sisters. Of the few times Lena has ever come out, with them its been the most superfluous. With Jack it had been awkward, late at night after a dinner where Lionel had practically sold her off to Jack’s parents as a suitable bride for their son. Lex had not been surprised at all, teasing her good-naturedly about her childhood crush on Miss Honey and promising a LuthorCorp sponsorship of Metropolis Pride (which they both knew he would never make good on, lest the board oust him). Lena hadn’t come out to Veronica so much as Veronica dragged her out, so this was by far the least embarrassing experience.

“I’m really lucky to have met you two. Now, how do I roll these up?” Lena points at the stiffened batter. She takes a second to check on the chicken simmering in the stock.

“We’re lucky to have met you too. There’s not an exact science so just make one and I’ll tell you if it looks right,” Kara instructs. Lena covers her hands in water and oil and spoons some of the mixture into her palm. She rolls it into a ball and holds it up to the camera lens.

“How’s this?”

“Maybe a tiny bit less.” Lena pinches off a small amount and reshapes it.

“How about now?”

“Perfect. Is it Lacey? Layla? Laura?”

“No, no, and no.”

“Okay, now the recipe says to shred the chicken and set it aside, then put in the matzoh balls. Once they’re cooked, put the chicken back in.”

“Sounds easy enough.”

“Oh, and put in the vegetables now too, and turn up the heat.”

“What else did you forget?” Lena teases.

“Just those two things. Lucia?”

“Exactly how long is it going to take for you to give up?” is Lena’s answer.

“I will ask you every day of my life until the end of time, and then when I die, my last will and testament will designate all my possessions to the person who agrees to keep up my legacy until your middle name is discovered.” Kara impressively maintains a grave tone throughout.

“You really have a flair for the dramatic, but I’m still not telling. I told Alex and the look she gave me, you’d think she was planning on taking out newspaper ads, maybe billboards.” Kara’s eyes light up.

“You didn’t tell me Alex knew! She’ll tell me for sure!” she cheers.

“You can ask her yourself, I’m going to go tell her the food is ready.”

“Alright.”

Lena sets the table and heads towards Alex’s room. She reaches for the light switch but thinks better of it. Delicately, Lena sits on the edge of the bed and touches her shoulder.

“Hey, wake up,” she whispers.

“Tired.”

“You have to eat, or you’ll die. To my complete disgust, I’m acutely aware that you didn’t keep the banana down, so come out and have some soup.”

“It smells good,” Alex says after a beat.

“Hopefully, it tastes good. Now, come on.” Lena walks back out to the table and Alex trudges behind her. Lena doles out a serving for Alex, and she finally puts it together.

“No way.”

“What?” Lena says innocently.

“You made matzoh ball soup. It smells like my mother’s.”

“Kara got me the recipe and coached me through it. I’ve got to say, I’ve never made anything that took two hours before. Oh, and I put some in the freezer for later. I don’t know if it will be any good but it’s probably okay-ish.”

Lena steps out to move her laptop to the table, so Kara can be a part of it. Alex sits, still wrapped in her duvet and takes a bite. She hums in consideration.

“Here’s the thing –”

“It’s horrible, isn’t it?”

“No, I was going to say that it’s really good. Great, even. And I am so grateful that you took the time to do this for me.”

“But it’s not your mother’s,” Lena says perceptively. Alex nods.

“But it’s delicious, really.”

“Good. Eat up,” Kara commands. “Make up for the fact that I’m not there to have any.”

* * *

 

“Hey what time are you leaving next Wednesday?” Lena asks one afternoon. “I could take you to the airport.”

“Oh cool, are you flying to Metropolis? I figured you’d drive since it’s only a few hours away.”

“No, I’m not going back for Thanksgiving. I was just trying to be polite.”

“You’re not going to be with your family on Thanksgiving? How come?” Alex demands.

“My parents are going to be in Europe.” Lena carefully omits the fact that Lillian’s opinion that Thanksgiving wouldn’t be worth celebrating without Lex, despite not having seen her since she left for school.

“You should come home with me,” Alex tells her.

“Oh, no, I couldn’t.”

“What are you going to do here alone?”

“Probably cook and relax and watch TV.”

“Unbelievable. I’m calling Kara.”

“No, don’t –” Lena says hastily. She grabs for Alex’s phone on the corner of the coffee table, but she’s not quick enough. Lena objects profusely while Alex hits call.

“Kara! It’s Alex.” Lena goes quiet to listen in on the conversation.

“Do you two not understand that I can see whose calling me?” Alex puts the call on speaker.

“Yes, well that’s not the point. Tell Lena I’m right. She likes you better than me.” Lena blushes a little, but its no secret that Kara and Lena have gotten closer. Recently, she had confided to Lena that she was falling for her roommate’s boyfriend.

“She might like you better if you didn’t do things like steal her shoes.”

“No kidding,” Lena interjects.

“Can you please just tell Lena that she can’t spend Thanksgiving alone?”

“Of course, she can’t. Bring her home with you.”

“I’m not a child, I can make my own decisions,” Lena asserts.

“But not this decision,” Alex informs her. “Plus, mom will disown us if she finds out we left someone alone on a family-centric holiday.”

“Yeah! Oh, that reminds me. I have got to tell mom that I’m bringing Winn.”

“Make sure to tell her there’s going to be five total, so she knows how much food to get.”

“Okay. And Lena, please say you’ll come. Please?” Kara begs. Alex gives Lena a look of pity, knowing what’s going to happen next.

“Fine, I’ll come.”

“Yes!” Kara and Alex say in unison.

“Jinx, buy me a Coke!” Kara shouts.

“Damn.”

“Okay, well I’m headed into class now but have a good day and I can’t wait to see the both of you next week!” Kara’s goodbye ends the call. Alex and Lena stare at each other, still in standoff mode.

“I’m paying for the flights,” Lena resolves. Alex sizes her up for a second.

“Fine, but they have to be coach. You can travel like us common folk for once, princess.”

 

* * *

 

“This may be the most transparent lie you have ever told me,” Alex says when she comes back from the restroom and Lena tells her that their seats got a random upgrade to first class. “Second only to the time you told me the computer at my desk just happened to come loaded with my highly specific med school programs.”

Lena puts a hand over her chest, feigning shock.

“Me, lying? Who ever heard of such a thing? This is defamation of character! You’ll be hearing from my –”

“First class passengers are now free to board.” The announcement interrupts Lena’s tirade. Alex grabs her carry on and shoves her towards the line. Lena laughs lightly and hands the gate attendant her boarding pass.

“4A and B, right here.” Lena lets Alex sit by the window. They chat aimlessly while the rest of the passengers board the aircraft. The captain announces there’s a slight delay, and the flight attendants take that opportunity to offer drinks.

“Order a vodka cranberry,” Lena whispers.

“Why?”

“Because I’m eighteen.”

“No, I mean, why do you need a drink? It’s ten in the morning.”

“Please?” Lena nudges Alex as the flight attendant, Rosa, approaches.

“Can I please get a vodka cranberry and a bottle of water?” she asks politely. Rosa nods and sets about pouring a tiny plastic bottle of Grey Goose into the glass of cranberry juice. Alex thanks her and hands Rosa her debit card. When the cart is safely out of site, Alex shifts the glass onto Lena’s tray table. Lena downs the drink in one.

“What the hell, Lena? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“This is your captain speaking, we’re going to be pulling away from the gate now and preparing for takeoff.” The captain’s commanding voice filters through the PA system. Lena looks at the empty glass and shakily places her hands on the armrests. As the plane taxis down the runway, her grip tightens until she’s white knuckled and quivering.

“You’re afraid of flying,” Alex says in disbelief.

“It’s not my favorite way to travel, no, but it’s often necessary.” Lena looks towards Alex and then sharply away. Alex follows her line of sight and shuts the window, realizing the image of them taking off is upsetting her.

“Thank you,” Lena breathes.

“Does listening to music help?”

“Maybe. I usually employ a method of counting to one hundred, checking that I’m still alive, then starting again.”

“Lena, this is a seven-hour flight. You’ll count to one hundred like two hundred times!”

“Two hundred and fifty-two times.”

“Okay, how about this? Try listening to music and watching the time elapsed on the song. That way you can count down in larger increments and still be doing something more interesting than counting.”

“I could try that.” Lena pulls out her phone and plugs in her headphones. She hits shuffle and leans back her chair, attempting to rest. “If the flight attendant comes around again, order me another drink.”

Alex nods and pops in a stick of gum to combat the ear-popping altitude they’ve reached. She takes advantage of the time and extra space to read and annotate medical journal articles. Every five minutes or so she looks over at Lena, whose laser focus never leaves her phone screen.

The duration of the flight consists of Alex doing homework, ordering Lena a second and third drink, and relaxing when she finally falls asleep. Alex puts away her schoolwork then and reclines, trying to rest. Mild turbulence keeps her away, to her complete frustration, so she tries to watch the in-flight movie. The last half of _Moneyball_ keeps her attention for a while, but by the end there’s still two hours left in the flight. Alex looks around at the other people in the cabin. A handful of businessmen, a couple of Airmen in their fatigues, a child flying alone, accompanied by a flight attendant, serve as fairly good entertainment for a while. Alex gives up her game when she realizes the pair of newlyweds in the aisle across from them have staggered their entrances to the cabin restroom.

In her boredom, Alex attempts sketching, which is more Kara’s thing. She works on her penmanship by writing memorized song lyrics in cursive, but her pen ink runs too fast and causes blots and streaks. Finally, the captain comes on the PA system once more.

“We’re now starting our final descent into SMF. The weather is a warm seventy degrees and local time is 2:15. For those of you visiting Sacramento, welcome. For those of you returning, welcome home.”

Alex is surprised to see Lena slept through the announcement. She figures its safe to reopen the window cover. The coast is just as she envisioned it. Alex feels a touch of jealousy that Kara can see the entire world this way, but she shoves that feeling aside.

“Lena, wake up,” Alex says as the plane comes up on the runway. Lena responds with a withering glare but sits up.

“Hey, be nice, I only woke you because I thought waking up to us hitting the tarmac would be unpleasant.” Just then, the plane touches down, a bit roughly. The roar of deceleration sharpens Lena’s consciousness.

“Well, thanks, I guess. That was somewhat better than other times I’ve flown.” Lena pulls out a small mirror and comb to freshen up, then packs them away with her headphones. Once inside the airport, Alex hails a cab and gives the driver her address.

* * *

 

The Danvers home is exactly how Lena imagined it would be. Beautiful and modern, but still emanating warmth from every individual shingle and shutter. The hallway was littered with photos of Alex up until age sixteen, when a twelve-year-old Kara appeared. Lena reached for her phone to snap a couple baby pictures when Kara nearly tackles them to the ground.

“You’re here!”

“I’m glad you got here safely,” Eliza says, emerging from the kitchen.

“We were safe until this brute tried to kill us,” Alex complains, still wrapped in Kara’s vice grip hug. Kara takes the hint and releases her, turning her affections to Lena. When Lena can breathe again, she remembers her manners.

“Dr. Danvers you have a lovely home.”

“Thank you, dear. Call me Eliza,” she replies warmly. A nervous cardigan-clad boy appears next to Kara, quite unsure of what to do with his hands. He stares strangely at Lena.

“Kara, shouldn’t you introduce your guests,” Eliza prods. Kara looks around like she’s forgotten something.

“Oh, sorry. Sometimes I forget that just because I know everyone in the room, they don’t all know each other. Lena, this is Winn. Winn, Lena.”

“It’s a pleasure.” Lena reaches out her hand and Winn nods and obliges, shaking her hand weakly.

“Well, we don’t have to stand here in the hallway. Come, we’ve been working in the kitchen, getting ready for tomorrow. I could use some help,” Eliza says.

“Just tell us what to do,” Alex replies, with a chorus of assents from the three teenagers, before pulling out a Coke from her bag. Wordlessly, Kara accepts the jinx payment.

“Kara, you can decorate the table. We don’t want anyone to be ill tomorrow.”

“I can cook!”

“You burnt microwave macaroni and cheese last week,” Winn rebuts. This is the first time he has spoken aloud, and Lena is a little surprised by the rich tone of his voice.

“I told you that in confidence!” Kara exclaims, blushing furiously.

“You tweeted it!” At this, the entire room fills with laughter.

“It’s okay, Kara. I’ll help you decorate the table.”

“I can start the pies,” Alex volunteers.

“I can do prep stuff. Chopping and whatnot,” Winn adds.

While the group sets about prepping for tomorrow’s feast, Kara tries once again to convince Lena to download SnapChat.

“I don’t even know what that is.”

“It’s so fun, Lena! It’s a terrific way to communicate so we don’t have to just text or Skype –”

“It’s a photo sharing application. It launched last September. Kara’s obsessed,” Winn explains as he dices celery. Lena gives him a grateful look. Winn sees her with news eyes, slamming down his knife.

“You’re Lena Luthor!”

Lena stiffens, preparing herself. “Yes, I am.”

“I read your paper! The one on fiberoptic thermo-regulation in industrial settings. Its brilliant! I had no idea you were our age.” Winn puts a hand on the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed at his outburst.

“Uh, thanks.”

The Danvers, each of them having watched the exchange anxiously, awkwardly returned to their various tasks.

“Do you think I could send you some of my blueprints?” Winn continues excitedly.

“Sure, let me put my number in your phone.” They exchange devices and when Winn hands it back, her screen reveals something startling.

“Winslow Schott?”

“Winslow Schott, Junior,” he clarifies.

“So, your dad was…”

“Yeah. That’s how I ended up here. He’s in prison, obviously, and my mom kind of went off the rails afterward. I doubt she even knows tomorrow is Thanksgiving.” Winn looks wistfully at the half-decorated table.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Lena says genuinely.

“Me too. I mean about you, too. It’s nice to not be the only one with a felon in the family.” Winn’s rambling elicits a gasp from Kara. Either Eliza or Alex, Lena can’t tell, says ‘oh my god’ in a low breath.

“Too soon?” he says apologetically, paling slightly. And then Lena laughs, an honest-to-god laugh that allows Winn to relax.

“Well that was…” Kara starts.

“A little fucked up.”

“Alex, watch your mouth.”

“What the hell? This kid just said _that_ to Lena and gets nothing. I swear once and get reprimanded?”

“He’s a guest,” Eliza says simply.

“This is what you get for bringing home strays,” Lena teases.

“Well now I know better.” Alex never does celebrate another Thanksgiving without Lena, but she can’t know that yet.

* * *

 

“What should we do now?” Kara asks as they four young adults lounge in the den. Eliza has long since retired to her room.

“I don’t care, just pick before the jet lag kicks in,” Alex says helpfully.

“We could watch a movie,” Winn suggests.

“We could play poker.” Lena pulls a deck of cards off the shelf.

“Ring-a-ding-ding, that’s a winner. Now, Lena, I should warn you that I am very good at poker.”

“Sure, you are.”

“What are we betting?” Winn inquires. Kara produces a jar of coins and doles out even shares of quarters, dimes, nickels and one one-dollar coin per person. They circle up and Alex starts to shuffle.

“Keep your glasses on, Kara,” Alex says sharply when her sister reaches to remove them.

“Why does she have to keep them on?” Lena asks. Kara looks at Alex fearfully.

“All the better to see me win with, my dear,” Alex recovers.

“I’m really bad at this game,” Winn says dully.

“You’ll win a hand soon enough. Law of averages.” Lena’s comment lifts his spirits incrementally and the very next hand, he wins.

“Aces full of eights,” he says proudly.

“Why are you staring like that Alex?” Kara asks. She is staring, and so is Lena.

“It’s nothing, just that Wild Bill Hickock over here just won with the dead man’s hand.”

“What?” Winn alarmed expression makes Alex chuckle.

“Way back in the day, in Deadwood, I think, an Old West guy named Wild Bill Hickock was killed playing poker. His hand was aces and eights. People have called it the dead man’s hand ever since.” Lena’s history lesson does little to calm Winn’s nerves.

“I can practically see Jack McCall and his Colt .45 standing behind you,” Alex adds. Winn looks nervously over her shoulder and Alex falls on her side laughing.

“You’re so mean.” Kara smacks Alex’s arm playfully.

“Great, now there’s no way I’m sleeping tonight,” Winn gripes.

“Sorry,” Alex says unapologetically. “Speaking of which, what are the sleeping arrangements for tonight?”

“We can let Winn and Lena take our beds and we can share the guest bed.”

“And make two strangers share a room?”

“Well, suggest something then,” Kara retorts.

“How about you and Lena take our beds, Winn can take the guest bed, and I’ll crash on the couch?”

“I can sleep on the couch,” Winn offers.

“You can’t, you’re a guest,” Kara says.

“I’ll sleep anywhere,” Lena starts. “Hell, I’d even sleep on the floor.” This sparks an idea in Kara that Alex sees coming a mile away.

“We are not building a blanket fort, Kara. We’re four fully grown adults. Eventually, you have to stop building forts at every sleepover.”

“Actually, I’ve never done a blanket fort.” The other three in the circle look at Lena like she’s lost her mind.

“Never done a blanket fort?” Winn whispers tragically. Alex grunts as she stands up and starts pulling cushions off the couches.

“I swear, Lena, sometimes I think you’re an alien.”

As they lay in the darkness, warmth and weariness wash over them. Blinking slows under heavy eyelids until Kara smashes the comfortable silence.

"Is it Laurissa?"

* * *

 

Alex wakes the next day to find herself buried in blankets and surrounded by teenagers. Kara, nestled tightly into the shoulder of her now-useless left arm, snores lightly. Lena lay perpendicular to her, with her head pressed softly against Alex’s thigh. Winn had clearly distanced himself for propriety last night and now sleeps deeply shoved up against the loveseat in the now-fallen fort. Alex strategically extracts herself from the pile and stands, thinking longingly of the three comfortable beds which sit untouched. She swings her arm to reestablish blood flow and steps into the kitchen to start the coffee pot.

“You’re up early,” Eliza remarks as she pulls the raw turkey from the brine.

“Time zones.” Alex pours herself a mug and tops off her mother’s. She walks quietly around the table, admiring the fall decorations Kara had placed around each place. Gourds pours from the horn of plenty on a canvas of many-colored silk leaves. Plates, goblets, and glasses sit upside down to prevent dust from gathering, and each place was appointed with a name card. Alex frowns when she stands behind her usual place across from Eliza and finds a placard for Lena.

“Where’s my place?” she asks absently. The clattering of the turkey roaster against the oven rack catches Alex’s attention. “Do you need help?”

“I’ve got it,” Eliza assures. “Now, what were you saying?”

“My name card isn’t at my usual place.” Alex basks in the sunshine through the windows, a rare commodity at this time of year.

“I know. Kara thought that maybe it was time for you to sit at the head of the table,” Eliza says uncertainly. “We’re not giving up on him coming home to us, but we should try to adjust to life until then.”

Alex walks to the head of the table and locates her name card.

“Is this okay, Alex?” Eliza asks.

She doesn’t trust her voice but nods vigorously, wiping away a tear. She pulls her mother into a hug, noticing for the first time that they are the same height.

That night at dinner, Kara asks everyone to say one thing they’re thankful for.

“I’m thankful for the Danvers family. Your kindness and hospitality are unmatched,” Lena starts.

“You stole mine!” Winn complains. “Okay, well, um. I’m thankful for cell phones. They’re neat and amazing and they keep us in contact with the people we care about the most.” Eliza rolls her eyes a little at this millennial response but smiles at the last bit and then takes her turn.

“I’m thankful for the wonderful schools that are enriching my daughter’s minds, introducing them to new people, and cutting my grocery bill in tenths,” she says, earning an indignant look from Kara.

“I’m grateful for being of age,” Alex jokes, holding up her wine glass.

“You used that one last year, be creative,” Kara says.

“I’m thankful for matzoh ball soup. Your turn.” Lena smiles shyly at this before turning her attention to Kara.

“I’m thankful for just about everything. There is almost nothing about tonight that I would change.”

“Way to outdo us,” Lena says drily.

“Alex, do you mind carving the turkey?” Eliza poses the question sincerely but is already shoving the utensils in her hand, so she has no choice but to accept. As she cuts into the meat above the breastbone, Alex glimpses a photo on the wall. Taken by Clark, its from the first day Kara arrived. Not speaking a word of English and only more upset by her cousin’s clunky Kryptonian, Kara isn’t even smiling. Still, its one of Alex’s favorite photos in the world. Doling out helpings of turkey, she feels a kinship between this moment and that one, a sense of becoming. Becoming what, Alex doesn’t know.


	6. it's the fall that's gonna kill you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finals, family troubles, a realization, and a couple of holidays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize deeply for the amount of time it's taken to update. There was just too many things I wanted to do with this chapter, and even more things going on in my personal life. At least two major plot points didn't make this chapter, but they're incredibly important so I would expect another chapter in the next few days.

“What days are your finals?” Kara asks.

“Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.” Lena looks at her schedule to confirm before turning back to her laptop screen. On the other side of the screen (and continent), Kara looks more than a little frazzled, with books and a tower of empty pizza boxes filling out the background. “When are yours?”

“Wednesday and Thursday, two a day. I’ve got Creative Writing at 8 o’clock in the morning, which isn’t exactly conducive to the creative process, but I’ll survive.”

“If it helps, words like conducive are very impressive. So long as you don’t spell like you do when you’re texting me,” Lena teases. “Are things any better with James?”

“Not really. He and Lucy broke up, and I still have a huge crush on him, but I know it can’t happen. He’s just so sweet and I feel like he really understands my passions.” Kara’s countenance is like that of an actress in a harlequin romance. Lena feels a little nauseous the way she practically swoons at the mere mention of James.

“If being with James would make you happy, you should go for it.” Lena can’t quite believe how distant her own voice sounds, but that is neither here nor there.

“I can’t do that to Lucy. She said it was a long time coming but I know she’s taking it really hard. She’s gotten a little out of hand lately,” Kara says. Lena hums her understanding. Despite having a very unusual education, she remembered from boarding school the drama of a girl dating her roommate’s ex.

“What do you mean by ‘out of hand’ though? Is she taking it out on you?” Lena inquires.

“Nothing like that, more like partying really hard and drunk-dialing her sister to yell at her and sleeping with anyone that looks her way twice. Not that I think that’s wrong, it just doesn’t seem like her. She and James were together for a long time.”

“That can be fun,” Lena says slowly. She realizes it’s been a very long time since she had any fun herself, and vaguely wonders if going out tonight would be a bad idea. Alex had texted earlier to say she was pulling an all-nighter in the library.

“I’m sure its fun for her but I’m still a bit scarred from walking in on her and that girl the other night.” That catches Lena’s wandering attention.

“That girl?”

“Yeah, Lucy’s bi. Anyhow, because of said event I ended up crashing with Winn. Side note, I think Winn might also be in love with James, so that’s fun.” Kara’s exasperation with her borderline soap opera love life dampens her usually sunny disposition, which bothers Lena immensely. She tries for a bit of comic relief.

“At least you two can bond over your unrequited love for James,” she jokes.

“I don’t think it’s totally unrequited,” Kara says. Lena feels her jaw drop.

“Of course, I mean, who wouldn’t fall in love with you? You’re sweet, and funny, and gorgeous and gosh I didn’t mean…of course he likes you back.” Lena’s hasty response does nothing to stop the color rising in her cheeks. “But, what exactly makes you say that?”

Kara stares strangely at Lena for a second, like she’s going to comment but thinks better of it, returning to the question.

“When he told me they broke up, he kind of implied that is was partially because he was interested in someone else, and he was giving me a really intense look.” Kara lays out the evidence like she’s been mulling it over for some time, which does nothing for the ache forming in the pit of Lena’s stomach.

“Whatever you want to do, you should do,” Lena says dully. “Follow your heart and all that.”

“Thanks,” Kara replies uncertainly. “Are you okay? You seem a little off.”

“I’m fine, just feeling the stress of finals. Thinking about going out tonight to let off some steam.”

“That sounds fun. Well, don’t let me stop you. I’ve got a ton of studying to do anyway.”

“Okay, talk to you tomorrow. Bye.”

“Bye, Lena. Be safe.”

Lena, who had checked out of the conversation almost entirely, smiled softly at Kara’s concern for her. Standing up from her desk, she plans out the rest of her evening. She zips herself into a standard little black dress and pulls on matching Louboutin heels. Lena picks up her phone and calls the car service she keeps on retainer.

“How can we help you, Miss Luthor?”

“Can you be here in five minutes?”

* * *

 

The bar was nothing special, pounding bass and flashing lights like all the rest, but the bartenders were attentive, and the drinks were strong. Lena had come by a few times during the summer, but was by no means a regular, which is why she was shocked when the woman behind the bar greeted her immediately.

“Lena, dear, it’s been too long. What are you drinking?” Callie, the bartender, gestured to an open stool in front of her.

“Vodka martini with a twist.” Lena stuffs a fifty into the tip jar while Callie sets the drink in front of her. She takes a sip, hums a little, and looks around the bar. The dance floor fills up quickly as the sun sinks, and by her second drink the place is nearly packed.

“I know you’re not just here to drink, so why don’t you go out there and ask someone to dance?” Callie asks as she pours a tray of shots for a bachelorette party that had just come in.

“Oh, you know that do you?”

“I do. Even without your fake ID, you can get drinks wherever you want. You came to hook up.”

“You know my ID is fake?”

“Do you honestly think I don’t know who you are?” Callie replies obviously.

“I like to think there are some people who don’t,” Lena says uneasily.

“I bet the blonde over there doesn’t.” Callie points to a tall, fit blonde woman out on the dance floor. “Go introduce yourself, or I’ll tell my manager you’re underage and not to be let in here again.”

“Fine.”

Lena walks across to the woman and asks her to dance, which she accepts. Alice is beautiful and kind, but something feels not quite right. Her smile doesn’t dazzle in just the right way, she dances too smoothly, without the awkward charm Lena is somehow expecting. The feeling that something is missing stays with Lena all night, at the bar, in the car home, leading Alice to her bedroom. Lena shoves that feeling down to reassess later, or not.

* * *

 

Walking back to campus after studying all night is like a bad game of Frogger. Alex fights the instinct to keep walking through traffic, deciding that being a few feet closer to her bed was not worth the potential injury and death. Once in her building, she pulls herself into the elevator. She slumps against the wall, dozing until the elevator dings. Alex stumbles, blurry-eyed, into the hall and stops when she sees a familiar looking blonde sneaking out of her apartment, in a too-short dress and holding a pair of too-high heels.

“Kara, what are you doing here?”

The harried looking girl gives her a questioning look but walks right past. It registers that the woman was not her sister, but that still didn’t answer the question of why she was sneaking out of her apartment.

“Uh, sorry.” Alex mutters awkwardly. Inside the apartment, Lena sits in a t-shirt, gripping a coffee mug for dear life. Alex trudges into the kitchen and pours herself a cup of coffee.

“How was your night?” she asks slowly. Lena hisses a little at the sound, turning her head to locate the intrusion.

“It was…normal.”

“Your nights normally include a leggy blonde and a hangover?” At this, Lena looks a little stunned, a blush rising in her cheeks.

“I didn’t realize –”

“Yeah, I saw her leaving. I’m so out of it, I thought she was Kara.”

“Weird,” Lena says quickly. “I didn’t think of it that way.”

“I would hope not. I don’t care that you’re a lesbian, but my sister is off limits.” She doesn’t look up from her coffee as she says it, which Lena takes to mean that Alex has made similar declarations to several others.

“I don’t see Kara that way,” she assures. “And she’s straight.” That seems to be enough for Alex, who is much too tired to think any longer.

“And with that, I’m going to bed. If I don’t wake up in the next eighteen hours, poke me or something.”

Lena hums her assent and turns back to her coffee. She dozes for a while on the couch, slipping into a dream.

_“Wake up, Lena,” The voice is soft in her ear. A warm weight on her shoulder forces Lena to open her eyes. Kara looks at her adoringly, nestled into her side. Lena smiles as Kara plants a soft kiss on her cheek, telling her once again._

_“Wake up, Lena.”_

_“I am awake.”_

“No, you’re dreaming. Wake up!” Alex’s shout shatters the pleasant but confusing dream.

“What’s going on? Why aren’t you asleep?” Lena sits up, annoyed.

“Your phone’s been going crazy. I picked up after the sixth call. Your mom needs to talk to you.” Alex holds the phone out towards her expectantly.

“No, she doesn’t. I’m going back to sleep.” Lena starts to recline back into the couch.

“Lena, no, it’s your father. He had a heart attack.” Just like that, Lena is alert. Alex looks scared, for Lena and for Lionel, who she’s never met, which only scares Lena more. “Who do you need me to call?”

“Call the LuthorCorp Boston office. Tell them to send a helicopter. I’m going to get changed.” Lena jumps up and walks towards her room as if a switch was flipped, putting her into panic mode. Alex follows her uncertainly into her bedroom. Lena undresses quickly and pulls on a Brooks Brothers dress that Lionel had bought her for graduation. She brushes through her hair and grabs a string of pearls from her jewelry box.

“Are you okay?”

“Clasp this for me, will you?” Lena dodges the question, putting the necklace in Alex’s hands.

“Don’t you want to dress a bit more comfortably for the helicopter ride?”

“The CEO and President of LuthorCorp just had a heart attack, our stock price just dropped forty points, and my family has a bit of PR problem. There’s going to be press.” Lena looks like she’s aged five years in the last five minutes.

“Do you want me to come with?”

“What for?”

“You’re stressed, you hate flying, I’m a med student so I can translate doctor speak, you don’t want to be alone with your mother…do I need to go on?”

“No, just get changed. The helicopter is landing on the roof right now.”

“How do you know?” Alex asks. Just then, she hears the beating of chopper blades. She nods and retreats to her room to change. Within minutes, she’s achieved an outfit good enough to be the unnamed woman in the background of a photo of Lena Luthor.

“You ready?” she asks as they step out on the roof.

“As I’ll ever be.”

* * *

 

“Miss Luthor, I’m Dr. Swiatkowski.” The doctor standing at the door when they arrive leads them immediately towards the cardiothoracic wing.

“How is he?” Lena demands.

“He’s going to be fine. He had chest pains and cardiac enzymes, but we were able to place a stent via catheter before any major damage was done to the heart. He’s going to be a little fuzzy, but you can see him right away.” A nurse opens the door to his room while two guards stand outside.

“Thank you, doctor,” Lena says weakly as she steps inside.

“I’ll wait out here,” Alex says. She stands awkwardly next to the thuggish looking security before deciding to hunt down some herbal tea. She locates a coffee cart a few corridors down and orders two cups of chamomile and a coffee for herself. When she returns to the room, Lillian and Lena are standing outside.

“One of us has to speak to them,” Lena urges. Lillian looks distraught and barely responsive.

“They can wait,” she whispers.

“Dad’s going to be angry enough when the doctors tell him to stop smoking cigars, he doesn’t need to deal with shareholders running scared.”

“Then you do it.”

“Fine.” Alex watches in awe as Lena stalks down the hall to the pool of reporters being pushed back by security. Lillian notices her then for the first time.

“Who are you? How did you get past security?”

“Oh, sorry, I’m Alex Danvers. I’m Lena’s roommate.” Alex considers reaching for a handshake when she remembers she’s balancing three stacked cups of hot liquid.

“I didn’t know Lena had a roommate.”

“Well, she does and I’m it. I brought you two some tea, if you want it. I’m terribly sorry about what you’re going through.” Alex carefully hands Lillian the cup on top, which she accepts suspiciously.

“Thank you. So, tell me, are you a lesbian?” Lillian asks sharply, before taking a sip of her tea.

“No! I’m straight! I’ve never…I mean, I’m not….” Alex stutters, floored by the question.

“Good. I had to be sure Lena wasn’t reverting to her former distasteful habits,” Lillian says, in such a matter of fact tone she may as well have been talking about the weather. Alex feels her blood starting to boil but says nothing. Lillian is a total stranger whose husband is sick, and she has at her disposal two very large men with .44 magnums in their shoulder holsters, so self-preservation wins out.

“I think that should settle things for a while,” Lena says upon her return. “Thank God it’s Friday. If Dad is seen walking out of this hospital by Sunday, we can open strong on Monday and hopefully win back the losses from today. In the meantime, I’m going to call our CFO and tell him to take all of Dad’s meetings in his own office. Make it clear that while he’s stepping in for Dad, we expect him to be back at work any day.”

“That’s all fine,” Lillian agrees. “I wish your brother was here.”

Alex ducks away, looking interestedly out the window at the dark, cloudy night.

“I wish he was too,” Lena agrees insincerely. They sit in silence then for hours, through the night. Lena considers briefly trying to go to sleep. It is then that she remembers the dream she’d been having before the nightmare of her current reality. She tried to reason with herself, to rationalize it. Surely it was a fluke, a combination of her hangover and residual memories of Alice. She definitely did not intend to think of Kara that way, and certainly it didn’t help that she had just had that conversation with Alex about not thinking of Kara that way. That was it, just a cocktail of factors that primed her for a very weird dream. Her scientific thinking prevailed.

And then another hour passed. A voice in Lena’s head reminds her that scientific thinking doesn’t ignore the facts that don’t fit the theory. She cannot ignore the way her heart races when Kara texts her late at night, followed by a string of apologies when she remembers the time zone difference. She can’t ignore the sickness she feels when they talk about James. All that, not to mention Kara’s looks. The physical attraction had been immediate and unavoidable, but now there was this other _thing._ This heavy, powerful, terrifying thing.

Lena looks across the waiting room to where Alex sits, sipping her coffee. Every romantic notion she has about Kara is cancelled out by an unbelievable and desperate need to stay friends with Alex, who is probably the first friend that she made all on her own. Alex wasn’t a part of her social circle and had no ulterior motives about their friendship. She was, in many ways, a lifeline and Lena could not betray that.

The only way to deal with her newly discovered crush is to cut herself off from the object of her affections, Lena decides sometime around two in the morning. She'll still be friendly, but she won't let herself be constantly available and then eventually the crush will die like a plant not faithfully watered. It's for the best. She's never handled crushes well anyway (case in point, Veronica) and she doesn't want to betray her friendship with Alex. Satisfied with her resolve, Lena allows herself to relax somewhat. And then her phone rings, and Kara's face pops up on her phone, along with her name and a string of heart emojis trailing behind. Sighing, Lena lets it go to voicemail. She winces when Alex's phone starts ringing, waking her.

“Kara, what's up?”

In the dead silent waiting area, Lena can hear Kara's digitized voice from across the room.

“I saw the 11 o'clock news! Is Lena okay? Is her dad okay?”

“Yeah, she's fine. Her dad's going to be fine. I'm here with her at the hospital.”

“Do you think it would be okay if I flew out there to see her?”

“No," Lena says abruptly. "Tell her to stay and worry about her finals. I'm okay.”

“Did you hear that? Good, now go to bed. I'll check in later.” Alex hangs up and silence washes over the room once more. Lena feels guilty for not picking up the call but is steady in her resolve. She spends the next few hours praying for Lionel’s recovery and ridiculing herself for doing so, then praying again. The sun rises, and Lena curses herself for not bringing a change of clothes. At seven, the nurses allow them into Lionel's room. 

“Sterling called me to let me know what was going on. Seems that MBA is coming in handy.” The fluorescent lights and hospital gown cannot shrink the lion of a man her father is, nor the pride in his voice.

“I've only been in the program one semester,” Lena says bashfully.

“You're a natural then,” he says glowingly.

“Never mind that. How are feeling? You must be fairly well considering you're taking business calls.” Lillian clasps her bony hands around Lionel's forearm shakily.

“I'm as healthy as a horse,” he assures. The nurse at the desk in the corner scoffs. “Did you have something you wanted to add, Cynthia?”

“You'll be healthy as a horse when you give up your scotch and cigars, Mr. Luthor.”

“I'd just as soon walk naked through Times Square.”

“Lionel!” Lillian admonishes, but Lionel ignores her, basking in the pride of his daughter’s laughter.

“At least you wouldn't be the first to do it,” Lena adds, still laughing.

“Well we can't have that, can we? It had better be the New York Stock Exchange then,” he says teasingly. A weight lifts from Lena's shoulders. He's going to be fine, just as the doctors had said, and this is proof. A father who laughs and jokes after having a heart attack will surely never succumb to something so common as death.

Not long after, Lionel instructs Lena to go back to school. He thanks Alex for accompanying her and sends them on their way. The ride home is about as silent as it can be in a helicopter.

* * *

 

On Monday, despite radio silence from Lena, Kara wakes at six and turns on the news. The stock exchange opens at nine Eastern, a fact which encompasses Kara's total knowledge about the stock market. Still, CNN shows the opening bell and a clip of Lena in the hospital hallway, thanking shareholders for their support and informing them that LuthorCorp is as strong as ever. Kara beams with pride as she pulls on her running clothes. Apparently LuthorCorp opened 36 points up from Friday's close, making up most of their lost ground.

Satisfied and making a mental note to take a finance class next year, Kara bolts out the door to knock out three miles before morning practice. Cross country, basketball, and track filled her days in high school and again in college. It was about as close to flying as she was allowed and even if she had to hold back, it helped pay for school. She knew the Danvers were comfortable, but she also knew Eliza would never touch the life insurance payout or the government money from Jeremiah's Missing - Presumed Dead status. So, Kara tried to do her part by getting a partial scholarship for athletics. Keeping a low profile meant she couldn't blow her competitors out of the water, no matter how easy it would be, and she couldn't be a household name. Which is how Kara ended up at a Division Two college, majoring in Communications.

As she ran past the tennis courts, Kara let her mind wander. She and Lucy had gotten closer lately, thanks in part to Lucy's reigning herself back in and Lena’s lack of communication. They'd even had an in-depth conversation about what it was to be bisexual. It wasn't a term she'd ever heard at Midvale High, but it certainly seemed more comfortable and relatable than the strange human idea of being expected to mate only with members of the opposite sex. Still, Kara wasn't sure it was a term she'd use for herself because she honestly didn't think she had ever been attracted to a woman.

Kara reflects as she runs, on every crush and attempted relationship she'd ever had. Her affection for James, who was decidedly not a woman, feel stronger than anything before, but she can't ignore the facts. She remembers, with incredible embarrassment, the fixation she'd had on a senior girl when she was a sophomore. Kara had mistaken her feelings then for hero worship, even though everyone but Kara had thought she was an ambitious bitch. Memories of feelings jittery and elated when Katie had spoken with her privately about being the basketball team captain after she graduated run through her mind. Kara laughs at herself. She had been so excited about being told that, but she realizes now that the butterflies in her stomach in that moment were more due to how close Katie was as they spoke, walking alone together, turning out the gym lights and locking up. She blushes as she remembers the senior night banquet, where they honored the graduating team members. Underclassmen dressed casually but the seniors were asked to dress up. Kara's mind fills with images of Katie in that shaped black dress, pearls strung across her neck, and red velvet lipstick on her lips. The embarrassment at her naivete forces Kara to run faster, shaking the memories from her mind.

Back in her dorm, Kara is checking her grades when Lucy returns, shoes in hand from wherever she spent the night. Kara, having trouble pushing her newly recognized memories away, does the unthinkable.

“What was it like, your first crush on a girl?”

Lucy looks a little shocked but smiles widely. 

“I knew it.”

“I'm not saying anything, just answer the question.”

“My first crush on a girl was in second grade. She would swing higher than all the rest of us, then jump right off. She was fearless, and I was lovesick. Of course, I didn’t know I had a crush on her until I was fourteen. I was coming out to Lois and she just laughed at me. She said, ‘of course you’re not straight! Don’t you remember Mariana?’ And it all came flooding back.” Lucy looks wistfully out the window as she tells her tale, and Kara wonders where Mariana is now.

“That’s really sweet. I don’t think I even considered having a crush on anyone until I was at least fourteen,” Kara says. What she does not say is that romance was rare and considered wholly inefficient on Krypton. Until she got to Earth and began learning its customs, she had never considered loving someone in that way. “I kind of have a similar memory of a girl when I was a sophomore. I just realized like ten minutes ago that I think I maybe kind of had a crush on her? But just the one crush wouldn’t have to mean I’m not straight, would it?”

“It doesn’t have to mean anything, but in my experience, you don’t get much choice over who you fall in love with,” Lucy says wisely. Kara feels a little guilty, thinking about James right then because she knows Lucy is too. Still, her roommate is right. You can’t help who you fall in love with.

“And how did you come out to everyone else? The people not in your family and all that?” Kara asks.

“Well, I haven’t, to an extent. Sure, I’ve got the flag pin on my bookbag but every new person means deciding whether or not I’m comfortable and safe if I come out to them,” Lucy explains.

“Right, of course.” Kara vaguely registers that practice starts in twenty minutes.

“For my friends though, I got on Facebook. I wrote ‘Dear All, I’m bi. Have a swell day.’ Not super clever, but it got the point across.”

“That’s kind of sweet. Funny.”

“Yeah, I was going for a kind of innocuous announcement, same as if I was posting that I went for coffee.”

“And it went well?”

“One of my friends from middle school put up this obnoxious comment asking if I’d ever had a crush on her, but otherwise, yes.”

“Cool. I’m glad we talked about this,” Kara says. “I’m not trying to bail but I have practice. See you at dinner?”

“See you at dinner.”

* * *

 

_Hardcore weight training today_

The text, followed by a heart stopping photo of Kara soaked in sweat with a phone in one hand and a fifty-pound weight in the other, nearly sends Lena spiraling.

 _That looks like fun_ she sends back, hoping its polite but uninterested enough to not warrant a response. At eleven o’clock, she’s coming dangerously close to her five text per day limit. The last week had been incredibly hard on Lena. She’d gotten her first B ever, which had prompted a breakdown that easily made her top five, and she still had one more final before break. Lionel was still in recovery and refusing to make any lifestyle changes, insisting that the stent would more than make up for his not having exercised in thirty some-odd years. And on top of all that, she was now forcing herself not to speak with one of her best friends.

“Hey, I probably should have asked before but are you coming with for winter break?” Alex asks, stepping through the door after her anatomy final.

“No.”

“Why not?” Alex’s demand puzzles Lena.

“One, you never invited me. Two, I have to go my family’s Christmas Gala.”

“I get that. But for future reference, once you’re invited to one Danvers holiday, you’re invited to all of them.” Alex plops down on the couch in a way that Lillian would call extremely unladylike.

“Good to know,” Lena says. “Hey, I need your street address. I forgot to write it down at Thanksgiving and I don’t know where to send your Christmas gifts.”

“We don’t do Christmas gifts.” This shocks Lena. As holiday and gift-oriented as the Danvers are, she would have thought presents around the tree would have been a big part of their family tradition.

“Why don’t you do Christmas gifts?”

“Because Jewish people don’t tend to celebrate Christmas,” Alex says obviously.

“What?” If Lena thought she was shocked before, this is a whole other thing. Alex looks at her strangely.

“You’re a literal genius, you must know we don’t celebrate Christmas.”

“No, I know that,” Lena defends. “I just didn’t know you were Jewish. How can we have lived together for nearly six months and I didn’t know you’re Jewish?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it at some point.” Lena can see the gears turning as Alex reflects on any instance in which she might have mentioned it.

“You never told me, I’m sure. You don’t go to temple on Saturdays.”

“Yeah, and you don’t go to mass on Sundays. You still call yourself Catholic,” Alex retorts.

“Fair enough. Anyway, that’s not the point. What’s your address? I’ll send Hanukkah gifts instead,” Lena remedies. Alex gives her the address and demands Lena’s.

“What for?”

“Gifts, dummy. And so we can come rescue you if your mom gets mean.”

“She’s not mean,” Lena says automatically. Alex gives her an uncertain look.

“She said some things at the hospital that weren’t altogether kind,” she admits.

“Like what?”

“I won’t repeat it, I’m just saying it wasn’t a very nice thing to say about a daughter,” Alex says vaguely. Then it clicks for Lena.

“She thought you were my girlfriend.”

“Yeah.”

“Ever since that Christmas party, any girl she sees me with…” Lena trails off.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ll tell you some other time.”

* * *

 

Winter break is supposed to be a time to relax, to enjoy family and bask in the glow of a straight A semester. When Alex walks through the door of her house, however, it’s clear that’s not the kind of break she’s going to get.

“Alexandra Caroline!” Eliza shouts from the kitchen. “Get in here this instant.”

Alex trudges down the hall and turns to face her mother. Winn and Kara look frightfully on, expecting a blowout. Alex draws herself up to her full height and attempts a casual tone.

“What’s up, Mom?”

“When were you going to tell me,” Eliza demands, “that you made the Dean’s List?” The letter in Eliza’s hand looks like it could tear any second from the strain of her mother’s grip. Alex finally registers what’s been said.

“Okay, what the hell?” she fires off. “I didn’t even know I did and now I’m getting yelled at for it?”

Eliza softens at that and breaks into a proud grin. She pulls Alex into a hug and Winn and Kara join in enthusiastically. A round of congratulations mixed with greetings from Kara and her friend turn Eliza’s attention to them.

“And what about you two? Are you doing well in school?”

“As and Bs,” Kara says honestly.

“Four point oh,” Winn reports. Kara elbows him in the stomach.

“Well, looks like you all still get dessert.”

* * *

 

“Lionel, good to see you’re doing well.” Lena looks up to the booming voice greeting her father. Mr. Spheer is a small man with a big voice and behind him stands his only son. Jack sees her and comes running sweeping her off her feet as she plants a kiss on his cheek.

“All that, and you still won’t marry him? Honestly, Lena.” Lillian’s sharp remark cannot cut through the joy of seeing her old friend.

“Hush, mother. Jack, how have you been. How was sailing the seven seas?” Lena asks excitedly. Jack gives a charming but bashful smile as Lillian stalks away, surely to abuse some poor member of the serving staff.

“Father’s yacht sunk in the Caribbean, but the Puerto Ricans were very kind to let us stay and have a good time until some money was wired our way,” he says.

“And when, pray tell, are you going to pay your father back for all the ships and cars and the odd train you’ve destroyed?” Lena asks teasingly. Jack puts his palms up in defense.

“Six days from now, when the dividend check comes in from my newly acquired stock options.”

“You took a place at the company?” Lena gapes. Not so long ago, Jack had laughed at her determination to run LuthorCorp.

“You’re looking at Spheerical Industries’ new Director of Research and Development. And how is the lovely Miss Luthor? Already rewriting your name into the org chart?”

“Not until I graduate,” Lena assures. “But congratulations on earning your stripes.”

Jack grabs two flutes of champagne from a passing waitress and hands one to Lena.

“A toast.”

“To what?”

“To expensive ships and cheap Puerto Rican rum.”

“You can’t toast to that!”

“Fine, fine. To rejecting a future bride and finding instead a lifelong friend.”

“I rejected you, if you’ll remember! You were perfectly happy to have me marched down the aisle to you,” Lena insists. Jack laughs and raises his glass for the third time.

“And I still would, but fine, here’s the real toast. To rejecting our carefully laid-out destinies and subverting our family names.”

“I’ll drink to that.”

* * *

 

“Is Lena okay, do you think?” Kara asks one afternoon. Tasked once again with decorating the house and setting the table, she takes special care for such an important holiday.

“She’s probably fine. Why do you ask?” Alex replies easily. A timer dings in the kitchen followed by a yelp from Winn, who probably just tried to grab something from the oven without an oven mitt.

“She only texts me five times a day.”

“You’ve been counting?”

“No, and yes,” Kara explains. “For the last week or so, she’s barely responded to me. She’s not unkind, just…distant. I was reading through my messages to figure out if I said something to upset her when I realized. She only texts me five times a day and then after that, no matter what, she stops replying.”

“That is sort of weird,” Alex agrees. “Did you look at what times you send them? Because you don’t always factor in the time zones and she also blocks out certain hours just to study.”

“Here, you look,” Kara says by way of an answer, handing over her phone. Alex scrolls up for a while, trying her best to count but not read their messages.

“Well here it is,” she says finally. “It started the night her dad had a heart attack. She’s probably just dealing with some residual stress. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“Okay, it’s just…I thought things were really good with us. I love Winn and Lucy, but Lena is probably my best friend I’ve made in college,” Kara says.

“Your best friend so far in college is my roommate that lives three thousand miles away?”

“Yeah, she just gets me through the day. Everything she says is so smart and she’s so kind.”

“James has got some competition?” Alex teases.

Kara goes bright red, stuttering. “I don’t…I mean, Lena isn’t…”

“Chill, Kara. I know you’re not gay,” Alex laughs.

“That’s right, I’m not gay,” she confirms hollowly. It is not a lie, but it may not be the truth. She thinks again of Katie and her conversation with Lucy. For possibly the first time in her years on Earth, Kara does not want to talk to Alex about it. Even though she feels about 70% sure she identifies as bi, she feels no need to tell anyone until she can be certain. There is a modest problem in that there’s no way to test attraction. Kara realizes she had been standing stock-still for far too long, and immediately returns to setting the table.

“Come on and help me, it’s almost sundown.”

* * *

 

Christmas morning in the Luthor house was a solemn affair. They exchanged extravagant and impersonal gifts at brunch then went their separate ways. Lillian set about ordering the staff to begin switching the Christmas decorations with New Years’ ones, while Lionel retreated to her study. Lena was left to wander the halls, feeling as much a stranger in this house as she had fourteen years earlier. She walks down a hallway of portraits, cringing when she sees her own. Just a week after her induction to the Luthor family, she had been forced to stand for hours in an itchy dress until the painter was finished. Lena scratches absentmindedly at the back of her neck.

“Miss Luthor?” The timid voice breaks her reminiscence.

“Just because I’ve been gone a while doesn’t mean I want to be called that, Anna. Now what is it?” Lena snaps.

“I apologize, Lena. A package just arrived for you. Would you like it delivered to your room?” she asks politely.

“Where is it now?”

“In the parlor. The delivery men will move it if you want.”

“Men, plural?” Lena asks curiously.

“It’s rather large,” Anna explains.

“I’ll attend to it in the parlor, thank you. How much longer are you here this evening?”

“Until eight tonight. Go home, I’m certain we can serve ourselves dinner. Go see that sweet little boy of yours. My gift for the both of you will be in the mailbox,” Lena instructs. Anna nods gratefully and exits, while Lena treads down the hall to parlor. Inside, two lanky young men stand next to a box a few feet wide and deep and taller than both men.

“Sign here, ma’am,” one of the young men tell her, handing over the clipboard. She signs her name and thanks the men, wishing them a Merry Christmas. Wrapped in shiny red paper and a huge, tacky green bow, the present feels like a bit of a Trojan horse, Lena thinks, considering three adults could stand inside it. Briefly, she wonders if her brother sent it, if she should call for security. Then her mind begins to truly run amok as she wonders if her brother _is inside it._ Fleeting images of a comedically implausible heist-movie breakout flash through her mind. Pushing aside her break from sanity, Lena pulls at the ribbon with fervor. Attached to the base of the bow sits a tag.

_Merry Christmas, Lena – Eliza, Alex, Kara, and Winn_

Lena breathes a sigh of relief. She pulls out her phone and sends a quick text.

_Just got your present. Should I open it?_

_You can, but only while you’re Skyping us_ is Alex’s response. Lena retrieves her laptop from her room and sets it up on a coffee table. She hits ‘video call’ and waits. The Danvers, plus Winn pop up on her screen, dressed in matching Hanukkah sweaters. They exchange enthusiastic greetings and holiday cheer, until finally Eliza tells Lena to open the gift.

“Did it have to been so big?” Lena asks, hesitantly pulling at the seams of the package.

“Yes, it did.” Kara’s voice is nearly giddy. Lena stands on an ottoman and opens the top of the box. Looking inside, she finds packing peanuts. Thousands, possibly. She reaches within and feels…nothing. And then slightly to the left of her thumb is something soft. She tugs at is and pulls out a crimson scarf.

“That one’s from me!” Kara exclaims. “I’ve been learning to knit.”

“That explains the sweaters.” Alex nods and Winn laughs, holding up his arms to show one sleeve much shorter than the other. “Thank you, Kara, it’s lovely.”

Lena reaches again into the depths and returns with a small photobook, every photo Alex had taken of them together, along with every Snap they’d exchanged since Kara had forced them to download the app. On the cover is the photo that had been hanging on their fridge, from the night of the gala.

“It’s lovely, thank you Alex. Although, I will say, if you had sold the photo to the tabloids, you could have bought a new car,” she jokes.

“Rule eight,” Alex replies softly. The family sitting around her gives her a series of puzzled looks, which she shrugs off. Lena locates a letter opener on the mantle and cuts into the side of the box, unleashing an avalanche of packing peanuts which reveals a tube containing blueprints. Inside were blueprints to a dozen pieces of anti-weaponry technology.

“I thought you could get some use out of that, maybe negate some of LuthorCorp’s more recent patents,” Winn says carefully.

“These are brilliant, but I won’t prototype any of these until I have a lawyer draw up documents keeping the intellectual property in your name, as well as royalties. The compensation for consultation alone…”

“Would cover at least the rest of his tuition.” Eliza beams with pride. Lena is stunned by her reaction. Never before had she noticed how Kara resembled her adoptive mother, despite having no biological relation. “Now, look at the bottom for the family gift. It’s small.”

Lena digs one last time. A small, flat box opened to reveal a silver key, new like it was just carved out at local hardware store.

“Whenever you need it,” Eliza says simply.

“We wanted to thank you,” Kara starts. “For sending me that beautiful leather journal.”

“And my new phone,” Winn adds. “I still can’t believe that modification fried it.”

“And my stethoscope.” Alex holds it up for emphasis.

“It was silly, and less than practical at this point,” Lena objects.

“And for that Madame Curie first edition, and for looking out for my daughter, which is considerably more valuable to me.” Kara and Winn chime in with a chorus of melodramatic aww’s. “Merry Christmas, Lena.”

“Happy Hanukkah, all of you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so important to me that Winn be a part of the Danvers family, as well as causing a little trouble for Kara and Lena. Next in line for some trouble is my dear Alex.


	7. new year's kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New year, new problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow okay so technically it's been a year or so since I updated but here it is. I reread this recently and got excited about the prospect of writing again for the first time in months. Hopefully it isn't too bad.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come along?”

“Thanks, but no. I really have to head back down to school. I want to settle in, get started on my reading, and I need to visit my mom for the new year,” Winn says as he slams down the trunk of the car. “Kara, are you sure it’s okay that I drive your car back to campus?”

“Yeah, it’s fine, I’ll just fly back.” Winn raises his eyebrows, hefting his duffel bag onto his shoulder.

“You fly a lot.”

“Mom has a bunch of frequent flier miles for traveling to conferences, so we buy our flights that way,” Alex cut in. Kara nods a quick confirmation.

“Well have fun tonight. Don’t drink and drive and all that. Oh, and Kara you’ll need this.” From his back pocket, Winn produces an authentic looking fake ID.

“Thanks, Winn. We’ll be up all night so check in with us from time to time, let us know when you get there safely.” Kara hugs him a touch too tightly, so that when she lets go he puts a hand to his chest.

“If you haven’t gotten there by two, call me and I can make arrangements for a hotel. Something like half of all drivers after two a.m. are drunk, and tonight being New Year’s Eve means even more drunk idiots will be out.” Alex looks fondly at Winn. He considers for a moment if he should hug her and decides to go for it.

“Thanks for letting me spend Hanukkah with you.” Alex musses his hair as he speaks softly into her shoulder.

“Of course,” she replies when they break apart. “It’s nice to have you around. Maybe I’ll see you at Passover, depending on when spring break falls.”

“Second semester hasn’t even started and you’re thinking about spring break?” Winn climbs into the front seat with the window rolled down.

“Hey, I’ve been in college a lot longer than you.”

“True. Enjoy your cadavers. Some of us will be doing real science.” The engine of Kara’s passed-down Civic turns over reluctantly.

“Oh, very funny, you glorified Geek Squad member.” Winn ignores her, putting the car into drive and trundling down the lane towards the street.

“I’m glad you like him,” Kara says as they head back inside.

“Yeah, he’s good. I used to want a baby brother, you know?”

“I didn’t know that.” Alex opens the front door and the two head upstairs to their shared room to get ready.

“Yeah, but I guess mom had a tough time with her pregnancy for me and they weren’t sure about another kid. By the time you crashed here, I was pretty well resigned to the idea of being an only child.”

“How come you wanted a brother instead of a sister?” Kara asks, rifling through her closet to pick a dress.

“I think I knew even then how annoying you’d be.”

“Rude.” Kara’s words are punctuated with a throw pillow thrown with such a velocity it nearly knocks Alex over.

“Kidding, kidding. I really don’t know why I wanted a brother. Probably because Vicky had a baby brother.”

“Wow, that’s a name I haven’t heard in a while. I wonder how she’s doing?” Kara holds up a few candidate dresses and Alex indicates the navy blue one in the middle.

“She’s good, I think. We’re still friends on Facebook, so I see her, and her kids pop up every now and then.” Alex picks up the now heated curling iron and starts in on her long hair.

“Kids, plural?”

“Yeah, she got married two years ago. Bit of shotgun wedding I think, because her and her husband were married in December and Jamie was born in June.”

“Husband?” Kara asks, sounding shocked. Alex gives her a questioning look.

“Yeah, generally you need one of those to get married and have kids.”

“I always thought Vicky was a lesbian.” Alex jumps slightly, and the fingers holding the end of her hair slip to the curling iron, staying there for a second before she registers what’s happened.

“Shit.” Hurriedly, Alex sets down the hot iron and waves her hand frantically to cool it. Kara sped over and grabbed her hand.

“Watch this,” she says. She concentrates on the reddened burn and breathes lightly, blowing cool air gently, like a freezer door opening, over Alex’s hand. The pain subsides immediately.

“When did you learn that one?”

“I saw Clark do it on the news. I didn’t even know we had freeze breath. It’s difficult to get right. Last week I had been practicing on a glass of water, and then when I stopped for snack I guess I hadn’t turned it all the way off because I froze the peach I was about to eat.”

“Which didn’t impede your ability to bite into the peach.”

“Right, but it was weird.”

“You know, officially I’m supposed to tell you not to practice your powers.”

“Unofficially?”

“Unofficially, that was a nifty little trick you did there with my hand.”

“Yeah, thank God I didn’t give you frostbite or anything.” Alex looks slightly alarmed at this possibility, running one hand over the other as if searching for particles of ice.

“Why were you practicing your powers anyway? I thought you were going to be saving the world through media.” Alex tries in vain not to sound nervous.

“I don’t know.” Kara shrugs, obviously lying.

“You do know,” Alex accuses.

“I mean, I guess I like having my powers as a backup. Something to keep in my back pocket just in case.”

“In case of what? I’m pretty sure whatever happens, Clark can handle it.”

“In case Clark’s the one that needs saving.”

“Oh.” Alex thinks immediately of last summer, holding Kara while Clark ran himself ragged, fighting a Kryptonite perimeter to save Lex’s victims. Reasoning with Kara that the Kryptonite would hurt her just as much, if not more, and that Clark could handle it. When a Kryptonite bomb had gone off, knocking Clark clear out of the sky, Kara had lasered straight through the television, the drywall, studs, the siding of the house all the way to the waterfront where she boiled some unfortunate minnows.

“I promise, I’m not going to show my powers to the world unless my family is in danger.”

“Okay, enough with the doom and gloom. Tonight’s supposed to be fun. Let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Three…two…one…happy new year!” The crowd at the Spheerical Industries gala shouts in uncertain unison. Jack pulls Lena into a tight hug before grabbing champagne from a passing waiter and handing one to her.

Lena accepts the flute of champagne cautiously, noting Jack’s mischievous smile. She takes a sip, and not detecting any added ingredients (like a bottle of celebratory bubble solution at a wedding when they were twelve), she relaxes. Jack roars with laughter and Lena looks back at the flute, only then seeing the shiny object at the bottom.

“Jack, what the hell is that?”

“My favorite tradition,” he explains. “With this new venture into actually working for a living, I didn’t have time to come up with something elaborate, so I went with a cliché. Go on, fish it out so you can admire my excellent taste.”

Lena rolls her eyes but drains the rest of the champagne, using the pocket square Jack offers with a flourish to dry the ring of any residual bubbly.

“Well it is beautiful, probably the most beautiful one yet. Harry Winston, right?”

“Well spotted. The maker of the crown jewels for the crown jewel of the Luthor family.”

“Funny. When you do decide to get engaged, how will your fiancé take it, being your sixth attempt at a wife?”

“I’ll simply explain to her that I needed the practice, and promise to buy her twice as many diamonds as I’ve bought you.” Jack stops. “Has it really been five years now?”

“It has. Five years of you wasting your father’s money on gorgeous rings that you know I won’t accept and you won’t have the sense to return.”

“Never!,” Jack says, scandalized. “I want the man at the jewelry store to think I’m a handsome cad that marries, divorces, and proposes to someone else every year, not to think I’m a handsome cad that women reject.”

“But either way, you want him to think you a cad?”

“The truth will set you free, Lena darling.” Jack stops. “Now that is something. What do you actually _do_ with the rings after I give them to you?”

“I string them onto a necklace that I’ll wear someday when I want people to think I’m the terrifying widow of five mysteriously poisoned husbands.”

“And what will your future wife say when she sees that in the jewelry stand?”

“Jack,” Lena says warningly. He should know better than to talk about a future that does not exist.

“I’m serious, Lena. Someone is going to find out sometime, and you may as well make it on your terms. If you wait until after you’ve taken your place at the company, it’ll be a scandal.”

“And if I do it before I’m at the company, the Board will never install me at Chief Executive.”

“You never wanted that title anyway.”

“Well, its destined to be mine now. Lex saw to that.”

“And I really am sorry, about all of that. But in the spirit of resolutions and betterment, why not resolve to change the company from the top down? If it is going to be yours, make it yours.” Jack puts an arm around her, pointing outward to the imagined future. “Make it a force for the things you believe in. Not Lionel, or Lillian, or Lex, but you, Lena. Let the world see you for who you truly are.

When Lena finally retires to her bed somewhere between five and dawn, there’s a hastily scrawled note shoved in her purse for later consideration. It’s not much, just two hard right angles that seem to suggest stacked L’s and a caption. LCorp.

* * *

 

“Oh my god, I just remembered why I don’t go to clubs on New Year’s Eve.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s fucking impossible to get in.” The line stretches nearly around the block at the one decent club in town at half past ten.

“I bet I can get us in,” Kara says easily.

“How?”

Kara zeroes in on the bouncers admitting people at the front of the line.

_“…man, I’m starving.”_

_“Me too. When do you get off?”_

_“Not til next year.”_

_“Funny.”_

_“I get off at two.”_

_“Damn, I get off at four. If I give you some cash would you run out and get food for me and come back?”_

_“No way.”_

“Alex, give me some money.”

“How much and what for?”

“Twenty bucks. I’m going to get sandwiches for the bouncers, so they’ll let us in.” Kara walks across the street and down a couple blocks. Alex cringes when a bypassing man stares too long at her sister, changing the trajectory of his path to walk past her again. She checks her phone, sending a quick text to Lena.

_Happy New Year’s on your end of the country! Celebrating with your family?_

_Thanks, and no I’m with Jack. Or really, watching Jack swing and miss with every girl in here._

_Fun. So how is 2012 so far?_

_Nothing special, but I’ve heard the vernal equinox is gonna be a blast_

_So say the Mayans_

“Okay, the guys are letting us in, let’s go.” Kara holds up a paper takeout bag and nods towards the entrance. The men accept the bag graciously and let them in.

“I kind of can’t believe that worked. Also, why don’t you have any cash on you?”

“I never carry cash to bars. I just get the free sodas they offer for designated drivers and if anyone asks what I’m drinking I say it’s a Jack and Coke.”

“That’s actually…really smart.”

“Don’t act so surprised. You want to dance?”

“I’m going to get a couple drinks in me first. You have fun.”

Alex finds her way to the bar and orders a series of tequila shots. Two shots in, salt and lime do little to ease the burning on her tongue, but by the third, things start to go numb.

“Home for the holidays?” The voice belongs to a woman with short red hair, maybe a few years older than herself.

“How did you know?”

“I’ve never seen you here before, but the bartender seems to know you,” the woman answers easily.

“I’ve been coming here since high school. The day I turned twenty-one, I drove back from Stanford to have my first legal drink here. Jo nearly threw me out when she saw my newly-minted ID.”

“I wouldn’t put it past her. I’m Max, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Alex.” She sticks out her hand politely, just like Jeremiah had taught her. Max laughs a little but took her hand anyway.

“So, Stanford, can I buy you a drink?”

“It’s Harvard now, and yes, you can.”

“What do geniuses drink anyway?” Max asks as she waves over a bartender.

“Anything above 140 proof. And I’m not a genius.” The bartender pours two more shots and drops a few more limes into a bowl.

“Stanford and Harvard, that sounds pretty genius to me? Law school, right?”

“Medical.”

“Oh, so you’re aware of what this is doing to your liver?” Max gestures to the empty shot glasses sitting on the bar in front of them.

“Yep.”

“Cheers.” Max clinks her glass against Alex’s and they throw back the shots stoically.

“You’re peculiar, you know that?” she says, staring curiously at her.

“And you’re very charming,” Alex answers uncomfortably.

“Do you want to dance?”

“Uh, sure. I’m not a great dancer though.”

“No one is, really. Look at that girl over there, she’s goofy and awkward but it looks like she’s having fun.” Alex follows her line of sight out towards the dance floor and bursts out laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“That goofy girl over there is my sister.” Max blushes slightly but persists.

“Beauty runs in the family then. Come on.” Alex doesn’t know exactly why she lets this woman lead her out onto the floor. She’s walking a thin line between tipsy and drunk, and Max is interesting and devilishly charming, and her cologne is so nice that it cannot possibly hurt to get a little closer.

In minutes, Alex is utterly fascinated by her dance partner. She’s never seen anyone who looked so comfortable in their own clothes, their own skin. A blue paisley button-down and straight legged khakis look like an extension of her personhood. She dances awkwardly, which makes Alex feel better about her own skills. She smiles fully and self-assuredly, like she knows that she’s fun, like she knows how good she looks. Alex feels her admiration for Max grow by the minute, wishing in a strange way to be just like her. Alex slows her dancing, wondering where that thought came from. At twenty-two, shouldn’t she be pretty well set in her lifestyle?

“You okay?” Max looks endearingly worried.

“Yeah, I’m just going to sit down for a minute.” Alex weaves her way through the crowd and towards a staircase before she realizes she’s being followed.

“You can keep dancing, Max, I didn’t mean to take you away from the fun,” she says, locating a low couch and crashing down onto it.

“If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather stay.” Alex looks up at Max, standing unsurely with her hands in her pockets.

“You wanted to dance,” she says.

“I wanted to dance _with you._ ”

“Why me? I don’t even know you.” The defensiveness in her own tone surprises Alex. Max looks at her with new eyes.

“I thought it was obvious.” The pounding lights mixed with alcohol that had well since hit the bloodstream converge into an overwhelming sense of befuddlement. Max is staring at Alex, who for the life of her can’t think of anything but one particularly tough question on the MCAT that had nearly sent her spiraling.

“As I said before, I’m not a genius. Explain it to me.”

“You’re cute, and interesting, and I wanted to dance with you. I’m not trying to ask you out or anything but it’s New Year’s and I was hoping for a midnight kiss.” And like dominoes, the events of the night fall together. The introduction, the drinks, the dancing: fall, fall, fall until the last domino comes out crashing down.

“You’re gay!”

“And you aren’t?” Max asks with similar disbelief.

“No, I’m…well…”

“Well, what?”

“I don’t know I just, there was a girl in high school, I thought of her for the first time in months today. And you are so charming and…beautiful doesn’t feel like the right word…”

“Handsome,” Max supplies. She’s not being boastful, Alex can tell, it’s just that handsome is what she was going for.

“Yeah, handsome.”

“Listen, this doesn’t have to be anything. We can stop and talk, or we can drink and not talk, or we can dance. Or you can ask, and I’ll walk away right now, but it’s twelve minutes to midnight, and I hear this year we’re going to need all the luck we can get.” Max is smiling then as she finishes and pointing at her watch. Alex looks downstairs at the crowd of people, hardly dancing now as they watch the clock, and stands.

“Okay, yeah. Let’s just…it’s New Year’s. I want to see my sister really quick though. Follow me.” Alex weaves her way back downstairs to her sister, surrounded by a group of former high school classmates.

“Kara!”

“Alex!”

“It’s ten to midnight and we never exchanged resolutions!”

“Okay, let me think a minute.” Kara puts on a serious expression while Alex taps her foot. “Give me a minute, jeez. Tell me yours while you wait.”

“I don’t know mine yet either.”

“My resolution is to call my mom more,” Max offers.

“Oh, that’s good. I’m using that one too,” Alex decides.

“No copying!”

“Fine. Uhhh…my resolution is continue the noble work of discovery.” Kara giggles a little at Alex.

“You sound like Eliza.”

“Daughters do that sometimes. Now do yours.”

“Fine. My resolution is to actually go for the things that I want.”

“So, James.”

“Among other things.”

“Okay, see you next year!” Alex says as she turns to head back upstairs. As crowded as the place is, she knows their spot on the couch has already been taken.

“Hey, aren’t you staying here for the countdown? It’s just minutes away!” Kara points dramatically at the projection on the wall. Four minutes and counting. Alex looks to Max, who for the first time tonight, looks uncertain.

“No, I’m feeling a little claustrophobic. I just…we’re gonna go upstairs.” Alex starts walking again without looking back. Once the crowd of people closes the gap between them, she reaches her hand back towards Max, who takes it immediately. Her hands are soft, everywhere but her fingertips.

“Do you play guitar?” Alex asks when they reach a corner that approximates on quiet.

“How did you know?”

“The callouses on your fingertips.”

“Right. And really, I play just about everything. Guitar, mandolin, piano, etc.”

“Talented.”

“And running out of time,” Max agrees, nodding towards the countdown. Less than a minute now. “What do you think, Alex? Want to be my new year’s kiss?”

Alex sucks in a breath.

“It’s supposed to be good luck, right?” She tries to sound casual.

“Right.”

“Ten…nine…” the masses start to count down and Alex still has no idea what she wants to do. Why is she even considering this? And if its just one kiss, for good luck, if it means nothing, why is she considering saying no?

“…seven…six…”

Alex looks to Max like she might make the decision for her, but Max’s face depicts only patience.

“…five…four…”

“Just a kiss,” Alex whispers.

“…three…”

Max nods. “Just a kiss.”

“…two…one!”

As if pulled by some invisible force, Alex moves forward. She registers the smile of recognition on Max’s face and leans in, allowing Max to close the distance between them. The kiss is soft and searching, nothing like anything Alex has ever experienced before. When they break, she nearly giggles from the surge of adrenaline hitting her bloodstream.

“Happy new year, Alex Danvers,” Max whispers before giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

Alex breathes a sigh of relief. Then, with the year just seconds old, an old familiar panic starts to course through her veins, the same as it did when she missed a question on a test or someone asked about the circumstances of Kara’s adoption.

“Woah, baby, I can see the gears grinding. You wanna get a drink?” Max gestures downstairs to the bar and Alex nods.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” she answers breathlessly.

“Tequila, right?”

“Anything.”

* * *

 

“Sorry for the trouble, I just thought it was about time you put her in a cab. I called one and it’s on the way.” The girl that stood with them just before midnight looks apologetic as she points to Alex.

Alex is hanging onto the stranger’s arm about as drunk as Kara’s ever seen her, but not in the usual way. She looks happier, and more carefree, unlike the usual performance she puts on to cover her introspection.

“Thanks, uh…”

“Max.”

“Thanks, Max. I was about ready to head home anyway. Come on, Alex, time to go home.” Kara reaches out her hand and Alex follows, a serene smile on her face.

Max walks them outside and Kara feigns needing help holding her sister upright. She climbs in beside Alex and thanks her new-made friend again, then tells the cab driver the address. They have only hours now before Alex needs to be packing for her red-eye flight home.

“Kara,” Alex whines, how come the sky is pink?”

“Because we partied til dawn. Eliza’s going to be pissed when she sees the state of you.”

“Nothing mom can say to me can destroy my buzz. I have…clarity.” Alex’s words are wrought with a sleepy conviction that interests Kara, but she senses that the conversation is ended so she laughs it off.

“Clarity? Is that some new kind of vodka?”

The joke is pretty weak, but it elicits a chuckle from Alex, who nestles into her for the last few miles of the drive.

* * *

 

Sometime in the late afternoon, a confluence of needing the use the restroom, an overheard discussion between Kara and mom about who should wake her, and the sound of her phone buzzing forces Alex from her bed.

When she gets out of the restroom, Kara is staring at her expectantly.

“I wondered when you were going to get your lazy butt out of bed! You leave for the airport in an hour. I went ahead and packed your stuff but you need to say goodbye to Eliza, and return one of your three missed calls from Lena.”

Alex sighs and shoves past an affronted Kara to grab her phone from the charger. Three voicemails.

“I’m going to check these messages and then I’ll come downstairs to say goodbye.”

Kara takes the hint and steps out of the room when Alex pulls the phone to her ear.

_“Hey, Alex, sorry if this is kind of early for your time zone but I had an idea yesterday but it has a biomedical component so I was wondering if I could get your input or maybe your mom if she wouldn’t mind. Let me know, thanks.”_

As she listens, she makes a mental note to give Lena her mom’s number.

_“Alex, it’s Lena. Ignore that last message. I think I got it figured out.”_

Okay then, genius girl.

_“Alex, it’s Lena. Again. I can’t believe I’m calling for a third time, but I just remembered you’re coming back tomorrow morning and I wanted you to know that I won’t be back at the apartment until late tomorrow evening.”_

That is strange. Normally, Lena is quick to get back to Cambridge and away from her parents’ supervision. Either things are getting better in the Luthor household, or much worse. Alex looks at the clock and calculates the time. It’s just after seven in Metropolis, so the Luthor household will be setting down to dinner soon. She might as well call and check.

Lena answers on the second ring, but it’s loud and unclear, like she’s been put on speakerphone.

“Lena Luthor’s office, this is Jack. Can I get a name and your reason for calling?” A young man with a light accent answers assuredly. In the background, Alex detects the rarely heard but unmistakable sound of Lena’s lilting laugh.

“Uh, Alex Danvers. Can I talk to Lena?”

“Depends. What are your intentions with my Lena?”

“Jack! She’s my roommate!” Lena shrieks. Alex laughs at her indignance. This must be the boy from boarding school. Based on the rustling, there’s quite a struggle going on for Lena’s cell phone.

“Roommate. I’ve heard that one before.” Jack’s teasing words intrigue Alex.

“And straight.”

“Boring. Here, fine you can have it back.”

“Alex.” Lena sounds out of breath. “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to check in. When you said you wouldn’t be back at the apartment right away, I figured this was a ‘say strawberry if there’s a gun to your head’ kind of situation.”

“Strawberry!”

Alex’s stomach drops.

“Just kidding! No, nothing like that. Just wanted to spend another day with Jack before term.” Lena and her chameleonic tendencies continue to stun Alex. One moment she seems thirteen going on thirty and then, in an instant, she is the carefree teenager she should be.

“Okay, well when you do get back there’s something I want talk to you about.” She rushes out the words before her nerves fail her. Lena’s demeanor changes immediately to match her serious tone.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just want to discuss something, not over the phone and not with Kara around.” Her stomach twists as the words come tumbling out. God, she hopes Kara isn’t listening in right now.

“Okay, we’ll do that then.” There’s a ringing in the background. “Sorry, I can’t talk longer. Dinner is ready and I can’t be late. Have a safe flight.”

“Thanks, Lena. See you tomorrow.”

As if on cue, Kara appears in the doorway.

“Are you ready?”

* * *

 

Alex is putting the asparagus back in the oven and setting a timer when she hears voices at the doorway. A key turns in the lock and the door swings open to reveal Lena and a handsome man, presumably Jack. Alex zeroes in on a glittering diamond on Lena’s left hand. What the hell happened in the three weeks they were apart?

“Well, now that I’ve safely escorted you home, I’m headed to the airport. Our Dubai office is getting up and running and I need to talk to the operations director there about a new plant we’re announcing at the end of this week.” While Jack speaks, he sets Lena’s bag down and takes the woolen coat from her shoulders and hangs it on the coatrack.

“I’ll have to buy some of your stock then.” Lena waves a little acknowledgement to Alex while continuing her conversation. She nods and rinses off her hands, putting the cutting board into the sink.

“Do that before the announcement and it’s insider trading,” Jack chides, before pivoting towards Alex. “You must be Miss Danvers. I’m Jack Spheer. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Despite his claim of heading for the airport, Jack takes a seat at one of the barstools on the other side of the kitchen island. Alex hastily dries off her hands on a dish towel and reached out to shake Jack’s outstretched hands.

“Must you always be so formal?” Lena complains, taking a seat next to Jack.

“Only when meeting ravishing women, I assure you.” Alex blushes as he looks her over. This kind of attention from men always feels disingenuous and slightly nauseating, even if he is clearly kidding around.

“I apologize, Alex. I’d say he’s not usually like this, but I’d be lying.” 

“It’s fine. You’re just eccentric, right, Jack?” Alex feels an immense pressure to brush off the attention.

“See? She gets me.” Jack turns suddenly.  “Say, any chance you’d like to get married?”

“What?” Lena and Alex say at the same time. He grabs Lena’s arm and holds up her left hand, letting the diamond ring catch the light.

“I’ve got this lovely ring here without a lovely woman who will accept it, and two less than lovely parents who claim that my time for marrying is running out.”

“Hey, this ring is mine!” Lena clutches her hand to her chest. The way the two converse puzzles Alex, like they’re speaking some language adjacent to English, enough to make her feel like she should understand but not enough that she does understand.

“I don’t get it.” Well, that was intelligent.

“It’s his stupid new year’s tradition. He buys and ring and proposes to me, annoying me and getting all four of our parents’ hope up. I’m only wearing it for safekeeping, until I can put it with the others.” The expasperated explanation has Alex shaking her head in disbelief. So, this is how the one percent live.

“The others?” she asks, after a moment.

“This is now the fifth time my heart’s been crushed under her designer heel,” Jack clarifies. “It really is good fun to propose. It’s rather sad that some men only get to do it once. Besides, it is an excellent way to honor how we became friends.”

“Which is…?”

“When we were thirteen, our parents tried to arrange for our marriage upon graduation from preparatory school, but that got changed when we both excelled through prep and undergrad, so it was supposed to be when we turned eighteen. If they had their way, we’d be on our honeymoon right now.” Lena stares at the basket of fruit in front of her. If Alex had to guess, she would say Lena was envisioning the road not traveled.

“Hardly,” Jack scoffs. “It would have been a summer wedding. You’d be six months pregnant with little Jack Jr. by now.”

“Not funny." Lena's voice is harsh all of a sudden. Alex raises an eyebrow. So, there is a line with them.

“You’re right, I’m sorry.” The quick apology seems to appease Lena. “Anyways, sometime around fifteen I told Lionel man-to-man that I thought Lena deserved better. And then to prove it, I skipped off sailing and sank the first of several yachts.”

“Wow. That is…”

“Complicated,” Lena supplies.

“I was going to say fucked up. Lena, your parents are the worst.” And she had thought her mother’s expectations were unfair. Jack barks a laugh at her bluntness.

“I like this one, Lena. Much better than the snake. Now, I must be off.” Jack stands and buttons his suit coat. “It was nice to meet you, Alex. Lena, if you speak to your father at all this week, mention to him that you think nanotechnology is the wave of the future. I’m going to need his support to sell it to the rest of the board.”

“Will do,” Lena assures. “Goodbye, Jack.”

“Goodbye.” Jack opens the door and steps into the hall, pulling the door closed behind him. The apartment is instantly quieter and somehow smaller. No room to hide. Alex pretends to occupy herself with the dish rack, avoiding Lena’s persistent stare.

“So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?” Her delicate, knowing tone makes Alex uncomfortable.

“Uh, nothing. I figured it out on my own. Like you did with your biomed question. What was that for anyway? Do you still want Eliza’s number because I’m sure she’d be happy to – ”

“Alex.” Lena pulls two wine glasses from their place, hanging above the sink.

“It’s a hypothetical question,” she starts. Lena walks around her to the wine rack and pulls out a bottle of merlot, handing it to her to uncork. Alex takes the bottle and grabs the corkscrew from the drawer to her right and tries again. “It’s a hypothetical question, and a personal one, and one you do not have to answer if you don’t want to.”

The cork comes out easily and she pours the wine for both of them.

“Just ask me.”

“How did you realize you’re a lesbian?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> worth the wait? probably not. worth reading? hopefully. let me know.


End file.
